The Master Plan
by crazy alligator
Summary: AU.  Rukia Abarai is planning to set one of her best friends Orihime up with her work friend Ichigo, and her husband Renji is going along with it indifferently.  Will the two hit it off?  IchiHime, RenRuki.  Rated T for occasional swearing.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! Well, I'm crazy alligator and this is the first IchiHime fic I'm posting. I already have two other RenRuki stories going and RenRuki is the main pairing I'm going to post stories for but I'll wright a few IchiHime's like this one. Note of warning, the first couple chapters of this may not be as good as my two other stories because this is a semi-old document I have saved on my computer and my other stories are brand new. I also have the first couple chapters of this typed up so those updates shouldn't take too long. This story also has RenRuki. Probably none of the chapters will be beat-d. This is an AU fiction, so everyone is a human, and it takes place in a city I made up in Japan. Enjoy!

The master plan: chapter 1

"What do you think, Renji?" asked the raven-haired woman as she sat on the couch next to her redheaded husband.

"Huh?" Renji, who had been playing with the couples' orange tabby cat, stopped holding the cat's paws in midair and looked at his wife. "What'd ya say?"

Rukia let out a frustrated sigh. "I said, do you think I should set up Orihime with you know who. I mean, I know Orihime's been looking for someone, and even though he's not the best with the women, I think he'd be good for her. Her sweet and kind personality with just a touch of weirdness, plus his irritable hard-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside personality. Call me crazy, but I think they would even eachother out and..."

Renji didn't hear the rest of what she said, for his brain was now in total zone out mode. This was usually what happened when Rukia went off into rant mode. His mind stopped registering what she said and he started thinking about whatever men think about when they don't want to listen to their wives.

"Renji!" yelled Rukia angrily. Crap. He had forgotten to nod occasionally and give one word responses of agreement like "Yeah", and "Uh-huh."

"Uh, yeah, sure, Rukia, that would be great," he replied quickly, trying to cover up his folly. Rukia, of course, knew he hadn't been listening AGAIN, and so with a sigh she stood up and walked toward their bedroom. But she wasn't done teaching him his lesson, not by a long shot. Renji, who thought he was home free, proceeded to scoop up the cat which had struggled from his grasp during Rukia's rant, when he heard Rukia add from down the hallway,

"I'm glad you agree Renji, because I stopped taking birth control yesterday."

Renji froze. Had she changed the subject to something other than setting up a couple of friends?

"R...Rukia?" he questioned. "Rukia!" his face held shock and horror.

Rukia simply snickered evilly, closing the door of their bedroom behind her. _That'll teach him._

_

* * *

_

Orihime Inoue walked through the pure white halls of the Tsubaki city hospital in her white nurses' uniform, carrying a clipboard with her to room 128 as she passed by the many doors and potted synthetic plants on tables that lined both walls. Her main patient for awhile had been Hisana Kuchiki, wife of Byakuya Kuchiki, a well-known university professor from an extremely rich family. Hisana was also the sister of Rukia Kuchiki-well, that was her name up until a year ago, when she married her close childhood friend and became Rukia Abarai-and Rukia was one of her closest friends. Coincidentally, Rukia and Orihime had even met because of Hisana's hospitalization. Hisana, the older sister at 38 years of age, was gentle, always kind, and delicate-not to mention she had a weak body-and Rukia, the younger sister at 24 years of age, was strong, fierce, stubborn, tough, and in fit physical condition. Orihime often wondered how the two sisters could look like twins yet have personalities that were polar opposites of eachother.

Opening the door to Hisana's room with a bright smile on her face, as usual, Orihime happily greeted the woman. "Good morning, Kuchiki-san!"

"Orihime-chan, please call me Hisana," replied the woman lying in the bed. "No formalities are necessary; I've said this since the first time we met." She was smiling back at Orihime happily.

Orihime's smile widened. "Hai, Hisana-san!" Hisana truly was a wonderful woman, nothing ever angered her and even in her weak condition she would always smile kindly.

"Okay," said Orihime. "Your IV's seem okay...are you feeling alright, Hisana-san?"

"Rather well, infact," she answered.

Before Orihime could respond, the door swung open and in walked Rukia and Renji, one of the more "odd" couples you would ever see in your life. Rukia was 4''8½, with short black hair, pale skin, and purple eyes, and she weighed 73 pounds. Renji, on the other hand, was behemoth. 6''2, 172 pounds, long red hair tied into a ponytail, brown eyes and tanned skin, not to mention he had tattoos all over his body. Apart, you would think that their physical appearances wouldn't complement each other at all, but they were actually pretty cute together. This was another thing that Orihime often wondered about.

"Oh, Rukia-san and Renji-kun, you're here for a visit, I should leave," she said respectfully. She began to do just this but Rukia stopped her.

"Oh, Orhime, would you wait outside the door?" asked Rukia.

"Alright," said Orihime. She smiled and left the room.

"How are you, nee-san?" asked Rukia, walking over to her sister's bed. She and her sister were on very good terms with eachother, and always had been, despite their clashing personalities.

"I feel better than usual," she replied, smiling. "And how are you and Renji-kun?"

"Just fine, nee-san," she answered. "It may not look it, but I've got the big guy whipped." Hisana laughed and Renji rolled his eyes.

"And you, Renji-kun?" she asked. "How are you today?"

Renji smiled. He liked Hisana, she was very kind and always asked how he was doing.

"Fine, though Rukia here gave me a scare yesterday when she made me think she was tryin' to get pregnant." Rukia would've given a smart retort but neither her nor Renji liked to have their usual playful mock fests in front of Hisana. Sure, to them, it was all fun and games, but to others it could seem serious, so they kept it off limits around Rukia's sister.

Hisana frowned, a rare thing for her. "You mean you don't want to have a family?"

"No, it's not that!" Renji quickly assured, waving his arms around for effect. "It's just, even though I found out later that she was joking, Rukia just sprang it on me outta nowhere, and I didn't know what to think, ya know?"

Hisana's smile returned. "I see."

Changing the subject, Rukia said, "Hey, nee-san, I'm thinking of setting up Orihime with a friend of mine from work. What do you think?" Rukia was smiling proudly because of her so-called "master plan"

"Well, I think that would be wonderful!" she replied. "As long as he is a good man, that is."

"Who do you take me for, nee-san?" asked Rukia. "Of course he's a good guy. I've known him for years, he was a friend of me and Renji's in high school, back when Renji and I were dating. He's usually scowling and in a grumpy mood but I think Orihime can soften him up plus once I think she mentioned how cute she thought it was when a guy scowls..."

"Well, then, by all means, you should do it," said Hisana.

Rukia returned her sister's wide smile. "Well, I guess we'll leave now. Nii-sama visit recently?"

"Yes, actually, he visits almost every day," she answered. Byakuya had a cold exterior, but on the inside he cared a lot for his loved ones, especially Hisana.

"That's good. Common, Renji," she went to the door, Renji following. "By the way, his name is Ichigo Kurosaki," she said, before departing.

End of Chapter 1

Well, I hope you enjoyed it, I'm sorry for the shortness. T_T I would like to know your opinions please and the next update will be soon, as it is already typed up and all I have to do is go through it and edit. Also, I am sorry if it sucks, but I promise it will start getting better and the chapters will start getting longer within a few chapters. And now for the disclaimer that I always forget to put until the last minute. Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo, not me. Thank you and good day.


	2. The Master Plan: chapter 2

Hello, friends! What, your not my friends? *Runs away and cries in the emo corner* Nah, just kidding, but here is chapter two of The Master Plan, and as promised, it _is _longer.

The Master Plan: chapter 2

Orihime rode in the yellow taxi cab to the destination she was supposed to meet her blind date in. She was nervous to say the least. She hadn't been on a date in a long while, not since she broke up with Uryuu. When Rukia had mentioned setting her up she had been surprised, but rather happy too. She was more than ready to start dating again, and she couldn't wait to meet this guy. Rukia had said that he scowled a lot, which she was pleased to hear, because she thought that a guy scowling was one of the cutest things ever.

The cab rode up to the side of the restaurant, the Lilly diner, and she paid the driver. She was in a good mood so she gave him an extra big tip, too. 30% to be exact. The diner wasn't a small place, but it wasn't huge either, and it was semi-formal. She walked through the door, which was opened for her by the doorman, after which she thanked him happily.

"Do you have reservations?" asked the man at the podium by the door.

"I'm here to meet someone," she answered. "Kurosaki." That was his name. Ichigo Kurosaki. As the man led her to the table she tried to look for him. Rukia had said, 'He's tall, has a head of bright orange hair, is, of course, scowling all the time, and has a look on his face that says 'get away or die.' You can't miss him.' Orihime smiled nervously at that. Rukia always did speak in a sarcastic way like that. She took a deep breath. She was determined to have a good time tonight.

* * *

Ichigo sat at the diner booth, waiting for his date to show up. He was in a bad mood as usual, and didn't really feel like doing this at all. He wouldn't be here, but he knew that Rukia wouldn't leave him alone until he agreed to this silly endeavor.

FLASHBACK

"_Common, Ichigo, I already told her that you agreed, you have to go!" pleaded Rukia. "Please, this girl is really nice and really pretty and I don't want her to be hurt! Please, Ichigo! I'm asking you as your friend to do this!" Normally, Rukia would just beat him up until he agreed, but she felt that doing something like that for something like this wasn't gonna do it. Plus, they were at work and she could get fired and arrested for domestic violence._

"_If you didn't want her to get hurt, you shouldn't have told her I agreed when I didn't," he countered. He never felt like doing things like this, but tonight especially he just wanted to stay home and relax._

_Rukia decided she had to take drastic measures. Turning on her I'm-a-sweet-innocent-little-woman-please-do-what-I'm-asking voice and clasping her hands together in front of her chest, she said again, "Oh please, Ichigo, please...you'll really, really love this girl, I know you will..." at this point she took out her handkerchief. "And she hasn't been in a date in so long *sniff* and it'll make her real happy if you do and-"_

"_ALRIGHT, FINE, I'LL GO ON A STUPID DATE WITH THE STUPID GIRL, NOW WILL YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE YOU CRAZY BITCH!" screamed Ichigo, causing all the heads in the place to turn towards him. Rukia didn't want to attract further attention, so she mouthed a silent 'thank you' and headed back to her post._

END FLASHBACK

Later Rukia had given him the address, time, and what she looked like. She had said, 'She's not tall tall, but she's a good height, she's got long orange-brown hair that she always wears blue flower clips in, and she's got huge boobs. And I mean HUGE.' Rukia had probably been trying to appeal to his senses with that last statement. So Ichigo simply sat there in this stupid diner, sporting his usual frown, and waiting for some girl he didn't even know to show up and have dinner with him. Soon he saw something orange and then the girl came into sight. Now although Ichigo wasn't the most flirtatious kind, he couldn't help but notice that Rukia wasn't lying when she said this girl was really pretty. She had a smile on her face and he could tell that she was probably the smiling type. She sat down across from him in a simple, but flattering, red dress.

"You Inoue?" he asked.

"Yep," she answered. "And you're Kurosaki-kun, right?"

"That's right." This girl seemed nice. Really nice. A small smile gracing his face, Ichigo decided that the night might be tolerable after all.

* * *

Orihime noted immediately after setting eyes on Ichigo that he was rather handsome. And she couldn't help but notice his cute(well at least it was to her)scowl. After she sat down, though, the corners of his lips turned up in a tiny smile and his eyes softened a bit. She wasn't upset, though; Orihime found this just as cute, and took it as a sign that she had made a good first impression. Trying to start a conversation, she spoke.

"So, um, Kurosaki-kun, Rukia says that your a reporter at the Tsubaki city newspapers inc. where she works as a photographer, right?" she asked nervously.

Ichigo could sense her anxiety, and hoped dearly that he hadn't intimidated her. "Yeah, that's right," he answered, melting all the coldness from his voice. This seemed to make Orihime less nervous.

"And you're a nurse at the hospital, right?" asked Ichigo quickly after.

Orihime snapped back into reality, just now realizing that she had gotten lost in Ichigo's warm, chocolate eyes for a moment. "H-Hai," she replied, a slight blush staining her cheeks.

Ichigo let his tiny grin break out into a full on smile as he realized that Orihime looked even cuter with her cheeks tinted soft pink. He didn't know why, but this girl just seemed to take away his bad mood, just like that, as if she were a witch casting a spell over him. But no, she couldn't be a witch; she was much too kind and beautiful to be the likes of that. A goddess, maybe.

The waiter coming by interrupted their more-than-pleasant conversation. "Sir, miss, have you decided on your order?" he asked.

"Hai," replied Ichigo. "I'll have the chicken fried rice. What about you, Inoue?"

Orihime's eyes scanned over the menu, forehead wrinkling in concentration as she tried to decide."

"Inoue, is there something wrong?" asked Ichigo, concerned.

"N-No, it's just...I don't want to impose on the kitchen staff by ordering something that will take them a long time to make, and-"

"-Order anything you want, Inoue," cut in Ichigo. "We're paying them, they won't mind, right-" Ichigo quickly read the waiter's name on his name tag "-Yoshi?"

"Of course not," the man replied.

"Well, then..." began Inoue. "I guess I'll have the red bean rice, and would it be too much trouble to top it with wasabi, pickles, and raw tuna?" The waiter sweatdropped, but found the strength to answer her.

"Um, no, miss, of course it wouldn't be too much trouble to perform that request," he replied, and with that he was off towards the kitchen to deliver the order that would surely make the list of one-of-the-weirdest-things-ever-asked-for-in-the-history-of-this-restaurant.

Ichigo, barely registering that the words that had just slipped form Orihime's lips were strange(to say the least), asked her, "So, what kind of nursing work do you do at the hospital?"

"Well, as Rukia might have told you I primarily take care of her older sister, but I also tend to other patients, mostly just the weak who are prone to sickness like Hisana," she replied. Ichigo was so kind...perhaps he took a liking to her and was just usually grumpy around others like Rukia had said. She concluded on that, for she knew Rukia would never lie to her. Either way, she liked this guy. She liked him a lot.

The food came out a moment later. As soon as Orihime laid her eyes on it, they began sparkling. "Oh, look Kurosaki-kun, doesn't the food look so yummy!"

Ichigo didn't take his eyes off Orihime as he agreed with her, that, yes, the food did look "yummy." This made Orihime chuckle. Ichigo didn't seem like the kind of person who said that things were yummy.

The two ate their dinner, continuing their conversation while never letting their attention wander elsewhere than each other. Ichigo didn't even notice how disgusting-looking Orihime's food was, for he was too busy staring into her deep brown eyes. When they were finished, the waiter carted their empty plates back into the kitchen and brought back the check.

"Kurosaki-kun, let me help pay," insisted Orihime, digging around in her purse for her wallet as he picked it up. Ichigo shook his head, flashing her a handsome smile afterward.

"I'm fine with paying, Inoue," he said, so gently it made her face flush scarlet.

"H-Hai," she replied. After the check was paid the couple ditched the diner to get back to Orihime's place.

"You sure you don't wanna go to the roller rink or the movies, Inoue?" asked Ichigo as they rode side by side in the cab. She shook her head.

"No, I have morning shift at the hospital tomorrow, and I don't want to give someone the wrong medication." In truth, she would have very much liked to spend more time with the cut carrot-top but it was true, she needed to be in to work early tomorrow morning.

The cab stopped by the door of Orihime's apartment. She began to get out, but a hand on her arm held her fast. The auburn-haired girl looked back at Ichigo with confusion.

"Walk you to your door, Inoue?" he asked, smiling warmly. For about the fifth time that night, Orihime blushed.

"S-Sure."

The two stepped out into the cool night air as the shining stars twinkled above and the crescent moon looked down upon them. It truly was a beautiful night. When they reached the door, Inoue smiled.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Kurosaki-kun."

"Me too, Inoue," he answered. Then he felt like asking something. "Hey, is it alright if I call you Orihime?"

The girl blushed again. "O-Of course you can, Kurosaki-kun," she replied, hiding her face a bit. "Th-That is if you want to, I mean..."

Ichigo's lips turned up into a smile. He was about to lean in for a good night kiss when Orihime spoke again.

"I truly did have a wonderful time, Kurosaki-kun, but..." Ichigo's eyes flashed with fear. Had he done something wrong? "But..." she continued. "I feel so guilty about you paying the whole dinner bill, it's eating me alive!" Ichigo certainly didn't expect that. Laughter filled his eyes again as he thought of something.

"You really want to pay me back, Inoue?" he asked softly(and slightly seductively), his hand slowly rising up to cup the girl's cheek. All of her attention averted directly to him, all breath retreating from her lungs at the way he was staring at her. Despite that, though, she willed herself to answer, "H-Hai."

Ichigo's smile turned softer. "Then there's two things I want you to do for me." Orihime nodded at his statement. The feel of his warm hand cupping her cheek and his gentle eyes staring into hers was causing her to go into a trance-like state, almost like he was hypnotizing her.

"First, I want you to call me Ichigo," he said, soft gaze never wavering.

"Okay, Ichigo..." she replied, eyes still gazing deep into the ones of the man before her.

"Also," he whispered, leaning his face closer to hers, "I want this." and his lips connected with hers. It wasn't a deep, passionate tongue kiss, but both participants still felt wonderful. When they broke for breath, Ichigo stood up to depart.

"There," he said before walking away. "You've paid me back." Orihime felt a drunken feeling overcome her, and it wasn't until several minutes later that she was able to re-connect with reality and unlock the door to her apartment.

END OF CHAPTER 2

Well, I hope that was romantic enough for everyone. Even though RenRuki is my OTP I find it much easier to write fluffy and romantic stuff for Ichigo and Orihime because of Orihime's personality and the fluffy gooiness we all know Ichigo has deep down. ^_^ Well, anyways, Tite Kubo owns Bleach, I do not, and I would really like to know what you guys think. Thanks for reading!


	3. The Master Plan: chapter 3

Hey, it's Crazy Alligator! Yes, I know, I should be working on my other stories, but I'm just so excited about this one! Hope you all enjoy chapter 3!

The Master Plan: chapter 3

Ichigo came into work the next day with a huge smile spread on his face. Passing coworkers did double takes when they saw him, making sure to take pictures with their cell phones so they had evidence. Ichigo didn't even seem to care, let alone notice. He also didn't care about the fact that he would be the subject of water cooler office gossip for at least the next week, for he couldn't stop thinking about Orihime. Stopping by Rukia's cubicle, he looked inside, watching the small woman as she hunched over a hefty stack of pictures, examining them, a look of unusually deep concentration on her face.

"Rukia," he said. She snapped up, almost out of her seat. Obviously she hadn't noticed that he was at the entrance to her tiny cubicle.

When Rukia looked up at him, she saw that he was smiling warmly, and knew that her hunch was right. A smirk broke out across her face.

"Tell me I'm awesome," she said smugly, knowing that she had made a good decision in forcing Ichigo to go on a date with Orihime. Ichigo would've normally been pissed off by her tone, but today he was just too happy to care.

"You're awesome," he replied. He really was grateful to his friend. He really liked Orihime. A lot.

"Thank you very much," said Rukia, returning her attention to the stack of pictures, which reminded Ichigo of how unusually preoccupied she had been when he first appeared.

"By the way, since when are you so caught up in looking at pictures?" he asked. It was her job, of course, but she was never as into it as she had seemed to be today.

The look of satisfaction on Rukia's face turned back into concentration. "It's not the papers, it's just...I feel like I forgot to do something important today, and I can't figure out what..." the issue had been wracking the small woman's mind all day, nagging at the back of her mind like an old housewife.

Ichigo shrugged, walking away to his own cubicle. He honestly didn't know if he was going to be able to work as efficiently as usual today with thoughts of Orihime constantly flooding his mind.

* * *

"Orihime-san?" asked Hisana. Orihime came back to reality at the sound of her patient calling to her.

"G-Gomen, Hisana-san, I..." Orihime was embarrassed having drifted off into a daydream during work, and her cheeks were flooded with red.

"Is it about your date with Kurosaki Ichigo?" asked the raven-haired woman, winking. Orihime's face became even redder, confirming Hisana's suspicions.

"I assume you had a good time?" she asked. Orihme's face was still red as could be, but her features softened.

"He's such a good man..." said Orihime. "He's very kind and handsome, and I like him a lot." She paused for a moment to reminisce about last night. "I can't imagine how I can thank Kuchiki-san for this."

"I think that Rukia was more than happy to do it," said Hisana. She was very glad to see that Orihime was so happy. Deciding to tease her a bit, she asked,

"So, did anything happen last night?" Orihime's expression turned to one of confusion.

"Wh-What do you mean, Hisana-san?" she asked. Hisana's grin widened.

"You know..." she said expectantly, winking. Orihime's whole face turned an extremely deep shade of scarlet.

"N-No!" she almost screamed, waving her hands around for emphasis. "Nothing like that happened! It didn't go past a kiss, and it wasn't even a tongue kiss! I-" the distressed girl was cut off by a fit of laughter coming from the older woman.

"Oh, Orihime-chan," she said between giggles. "You're so fun to tease, you know that?" Hisana couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this hard. Orihime's face cooled down and she smiled, knowing full well that Hisana meant no harm in her teasing.

"But, besides that," added Hisana, calming herself, "I do wish the best for you, Orihime-chan."

Orihime's face expressed pure joy as she answered, "Hai!"

ONE MONTH LATER

Orihime was putting on her yellow sun dress with flowers on it. She and Ichigo were going out again, for the third time. True, three dates in a month wasn't a lot, but both of them were very involved in their careers, Ichigo having to work late to finish a story or herself suddenly being called to work at night. The two didn't have a ton of time, but what they did have, they cherished. But this date was special after all, for it was, she remembered, the third one. The auburn-haired woman blushed, remembering the three date rule that she had heard about so often, and wondering if Ichigo went by it. She wasn't a virgin, of course, but she hadn't had sex a lot in her life. She did know one thing, though; if Ichigo was ready, so was she.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and, grabbing her purse, Orihime shouted, "Coming!" and rushed down the steps. Opening the door happily, she was greeted with the handsome face of Ichigo, who was holding a single red rose.

"Evening, Orihime," he said, smiling warmly and handing her the rose, which she took and held to her nose, taking in the delicate scent. Setting the rose down on a nearby table, Orihime turned to face her date again, smiling happily. Ichigo leaned down suddenly, placing a small peck on her lips as a greeting, to which she blushed, however not as heavily as before; she got more used to him kissing her the more he did it, and blushed less and less each time.

"Are you ready," he asked, holding out his arm for her to take.

"Of course," she replied cheerfully, accepting his offer as they walked towards Ichigo's car. Both could sense that tonight was going to be special.

* * *

Abarai Renji held back his wife's short black hair as she violently puked her guts up into the toilet.

"You okay, Rukia?" he asked, concerned.

"What does it look like, you idiot!" she yelled into the bowl, obviously too mad to consider the fact that he was seriously concerned. Renji, of course, ignored her sarcasm, knowing that she was just stressed from puking. Flushing the toilet, the small woman sat back into the warm arms of her husband, calming down as she felt her stomach return to normal.

"Sorry about yelling," she apologized, closing her eyes and cuddling into his embrace. "I just hate throwing up, I hate it so much."

Renji smiled. "It's okay, Rukia, I know," he replied, tightening his arms around her. "Do you want to go to the doctor's office or something?"

Rukia shook her head. "It's probably just that stupid stomach virus that's going around work. I'll be fine."

"Well, if it's a virus then I'll go to the drugstore to get you some medicine," said Renji, picking her up bridal style and proceeding to go downstairs. Rukia relaxed, letting him carry her.

"Thank you," she replied, her words slightly muffled by his shirt.

"We're married, stupid, you're not supposed to thank me," he said, setting her down on the couch downstairs and grabbing his coat. Pulling a blanket up over Rukia, he walked out the door, locking it behind him. Rukia melted into the soft cushions. She was so lucky to have such a considerate husband.

* * *

Ichigo and Orihime had just ordered their food, and were waiting for it to come out.

"How was your day, Hime," asked Ichigo. He thought her name was truly fitting, for she did deserve to be treated like a princess.

"Oh, the usual," she answered. "Mostly taking care of Hisana, and other things. You?"

"Well, I have a new article to wright," he replied. "You see, there's this old man who-" Ichigo's sentence was cut off as the door was slammed open. An enraged man with glasses and black hair stormed over to the two, stopping in front of them, and all eyes in the small diner-type restaurant turned on him.

Orihime's eyes widened in shock. "Uryuu!" she exclaimed, staring up at his face. He ignored her, turning his face on Ichigo.

"So, you're the trash Orihime's been going out with!" he asked bitterly. Anger boiled within Ichigo, and he stood up to confront the man.

"Hey buddy!" he yelled. "Don't call me trash, I don't even know you!"

Uryuu's attention turned to Orihime. "How can you be dating this guy!" Ichigo figured that this dude was an ex of Orihime's.

"Uryuu, calm down, he's a good man!" pleaded Orihime, trying to get her ex-boyfriend to simmer down. At this point none of the three cared that the customers around were staring.

"How much do you really know about this guy, Orihime?" asked Uryuu angrily. "Because-"

"'Hey!" interrupted Ichigo, raising his fist and grabbing Uryuu's collar. "Leave her alone, asshole!" Ichigo was completely infuriated at this point, just about ready to beat this guy to a pulp.

Light flashed in Uryuu's glasses, and he said,

"Thats's right Kurosaki, punch me. Punch me and get yourself sent back to prison. Ichigo's fist tightened, fingernails digging deep into his palm and drawing blood.

"Wh-What?" asked Orihime. Her face held horror and shock.

"I looked you up, Kurosaki Ichigo," he continued. "I know all about your little tangle with the law a few years back." Before he could speak further, the manger came to stop the conflict.

"Please stop this you two!" he said. Ichigo let go of Ishida's collar.

"I'm sorry to have caused you trouble," he said to the manager, eyes downcast.

"I...Ichigo," whispered Orihime. Said man set money on the table for the bill and a taxi, then turned his back to her.

"I'm sorry, Orihime..." he said quietly as he made his way to the door.

"Ichigo, wait!" begged Orihime, but he ignored her, walking out the door. She wanted to run to him and stop him, wanted to talk to him about this, but her legs wouldn't move. No matter how much she commanded them to, they just wouldn't. Tears began streaming down her face as she watched him disappear into the night.

END OF CHAPTER 3

Woo, chapter 3! Yes, I have created conflict, I am evil. But I will try to clear up the angst A.S.A.P., as I hate it as much as you do, my friends. Bleach is Tite Kubo's, not mine, and I hope you enjoyed.


	4. The Master Plan: chapter 4

Woo Hoo, chappy 4! It's seems like it's a huge amount of time between when I update this story because the Ichigo/Orihime section has like 4 new updates every time I go to check the reviews on my story. When I first posted this and went to check I was amazed at the amount of updates to this section(The Renji/Rukia section is lucky to have 4 or 5 a WEEK)and I was like OMG HOW! But I'm slowly getting used to it and I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

THE MASTER PLAN: CHAPTER 4

"She is? Thank you, I'll come right away...Bye." Rukia put the phone down, a worried look crossing her features. Renji came out of the kitchen that second with piece of toast in his mouth.

"What's up?" he asked, question slightly unreadable because of the toast.

"Call me off work," she said bluntly, grabbing her jacket.

"What? Why?" he asked as she hastily pulled the first sleeve of her jacket on. "Did the medicine not work?"

"No," answered the raven-haired woman. "Orihime didn't come into work today. She didn't call off or tell anyone about it. They went to her house, but the lights are off and no one will open the door." She paused to zip up her jacket. "Rangiku at her place right now, and thinks she might be inside, but doesn't have a key, so I'm coming with mine."

"Why do we have a key to Orihime's house and why didn't I know about this?" he asked, the look on his face a mixture of confusion and expectancy.

"Orihime takes care of my sister, so I need to be able to reach her if there's an emergency and she's not near her cell phone or something. And you don't really need to know." Rukia seemed to be half ignoring Renji, all she was doing was simply answering his questions without real concern for his curiosity, she was so focused on getting to Orihime.

"Well what if all that crap happens and you're not here?" he asked. "Then I would have to get her."

"That's not relevant right now," said Rukia, opening the front door.

"Rukia, wai-" he was cut off as Rukia ran to her car, leaving behind a simple "Lock the door behind me," as she got in and zoomed away. Renji sighed, picking up the phone lazily and beginning to dial the number to the newspaper company.

* * *

Orihime lay in her bed, legs pulled up to her chest in the fetal position as her arms held them there. The receiver of her phone hung off her nightstand from the cord that ran between it and the answering machine. The auburn-haired girl had been up all night trying to call her boyfriend, and now possibly ex boyfriend, but to no avail. She would wait, listening to the beeps that would go over and over again between one second intervals, hoping each time that he would pick up, but always hearing that same fateful answering machine message. "Hello, I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. I can't come to the phone right now, please leave a message." It kept echoing in her head over over until she just couldn't think any other thought. She had left an innumerable amount of messages, more than one could count, and had given up at about 6:00 A.M. Her sleep deprived eyes stayed open, seemingly staring at nothing. She had heard people calling her, but could find no motivation to get up and answer the phone. At this point, she knew he wasn't going to be the one calling her. And she would hear them leaving messages on her machine, her coworkers, her boss even...but still couldn't find a reason to get up out of bed. She would be crying, but there were no more tears left to squeeze out of her eyes.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a door being unlocked from downstairs. It was Rukia, she knew; Rukia was the only one who had a key to her apartment. There was more of the unlocking sound, and then the opening of a door. Feet scuffled up the stairs and the door to her room was opened.

"Orihime!" exclaimed Rangiku and Rukia in unicen. Orihime was too depressed to be surprised that Rangiku was accompanying the raven haired woman.

Rukia immediately knew this had something to do with Ichigo. But before she could do something Rangiku ran swiftly to the side of her saddened coworker.

"Orihime, what did he do to you!" she screamed, pulling her to sit up and looking straight into her eyes.

"It's not Ichigo's fault..." said Orihime in a weak voice. As she recalled the moment last night she could feel even more tears brimming. "...It was Uryuu...he came in and said that Ichigo had been in prison...and then he just ran out..." the tears began to affect her voice as she continued. "...and I've been trying to talk to him about it all night but he won't pick up his phone and...and..." she began crying in buckets, burying her face in Rangiku's chest. At this point it was obvious that she was done talking. Rukia sighed. She knew very well what Orihime was talking about.

"Orihime..." she said, sitting down on the bed next to her and Rangiku. Her face hardened. "It was a robber." Orihime and Rangiku looked up, Orihime's tear-stained face now reflecting curiosity.

"It was a robber," the small girl repeated. "Back when Ichigo was home to visit from college. His sister's were sleeping over at someone's house and his dad was out with friends. He and his mother were home by themselves. Ichigo was in bed when he heard gunshots from downstairs and when he got down...he saw his mother..." this was the hard part of the story, "...with a gunshot right through her head." The eyes of the two women before her widened in shock."

"He could see the dude running away and chased him. Guy must've not stolen anything and just got the hell out of there after he realized he shot a woman. Ichigo caught up with him in an alley, and beat him near to death before the police came and ripped him off. The robber was taken to the hospital and Ichigo to the police station. After cross-examination, Ichigo was given one phone call and he phoned Renji and I. We were living together at the time, so he could call both of us from the landline. We came down as quick as we could, and Ichigo told us what happened. We, believed him of course, but there was no way of knowing if the cops believed him." Rukia paused for a minute so that Orihime and Rangiku could absorb the information before she continued.

"At the trial it was ruled that there was not enough physical evidence to convict the robber, so he was let off scott free. This was because the guy was wearing gloves, so there were no fingerprints on the gun, and because the gun was old and unregistered, so they couldn't trace it back to an owner. And the fact that Ichigo was in an alley far from his house before the cops found them combined with the fact that there wasn't enough evidence to prove murder meant that the neither the robber or Ichigo were even necessarily at the house in the first place, so instead of getting off for self-defense Ichigo got two years in prison and a dead mother." Rukia was done now, and closed her eyes solemnly.

"Ichigo..." said Orihime. She began crying again. "Oh Ichigo...that's not his fault, and I just want to talk to him about it, but...but he just won't answer his phone!" She was in hysterics now, sobbing uncontrollably as Rangiku tried to comfort her.

"Orihime...do you want me to talk to him, or do you want to do it?" asked Rukia, trying to get her friend to calm down. Orihime did a little so she could answer.

"N-No, Rukia..." she said. "I want to talk to him...I just hope he'll let me into his house..."

Rukia stood up. "Common, Rangiku, I think Orihime's knows what-" Rukia covered her mouth with her hand, practically flying into the bathroom as she hit the ground and emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl.

"Rukia?" asked Rangiku. Both women on the bed were staring at the door of the bathroom which Rukia had flung open just seconds ago. The small woman groaned in response.

"A-Are you sick?" asked Orihime.

"Yeah, but I took some medicine this morning..." she replied, flushing the toilet. "I don't see why it's not working..."

"It could just be that kind doesn't work on you," said Rangiku.

"That's probably it," she replied, emerging from the bathroom. She took Rangiku's hand. "Let's go. You gonna be alright, Orihime?"

"Hai," she answered. "I'll get things straightened out."

* * *

Rukia was at Rangiku's place, on the couch. Rangiku had insisted that she stay there lest she puke again and something happens. Rangiku herself was gone to go straighten that bastard Uryuu out. Though Rukia had insisted on coming, Rangiku had said that she didn't want to end up pulling over so Rukia could get out and vomit in the streets. And so Rukia was confined here until Renji came to pick her up when he got off work.

Sliding off the couch, Rukia walked to the bathroom to pee. After sitting down on the toilet seat, she reached for the toilet paper, but her hand only met air. Looking over, she saw that the holder was empty.

"God dammit..." she muttered, reaching for the cabinet beside the toilet for some more. Opening it, she saw something that made her eyes widen. A box of pregnancy tests. Rukia swallowed hard, taking it out and staring at it. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't really that surprising that Rangiku had these on hand; after all, she did sleep around somewhat, and although Rukia knew she was responsible with some things, she wasn't sure how often the big-breasted woman used protection.

And for a second, for just a slim fraction of a second, an idea crossed Rukia's mind. She tried shaking it away, but it refused to leave her brain. It was just a stomach virus, right? Yes, it had to be. Even as she thought this, though, Rukia found herself opening the box up and taking out a test. She stared at it for a moment, though it seemed like eternity, a mix of emotions swirling inside her.

Suddenly, she shoved it back in the box, hastily throwing said box back into the cabinet, whose door she slammed immediately. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. She had just been thinking irrationally, that was all...

"Ichigo..." said Orihime, knocking in his door. There was no answer, and despair began to well up inside of her.

"Ichigo," she repeated, a little louder. Her despair turned into brimming tears, which she tried to control, but couldn't.

"Ichigo, Rukia told me what happened." Again, her voice got louder. She could feel tears begin to streak down her cheeks. She began pounding on the door a bit harder.

"Ichigo, I don't care that you were in prison, just please come out!" she was yelling now, her fists hitting the door deafeningly as she dropped to her knees.

"Please, Ichigo! I don't give damn that you were in prison, I wouldn't give a damn if you were poor or sick or in poverty! Just please come out!" she was screaming, pleading with him until her throat grew soar, pounding the door so hard that her fists turned red as the tears came in heavy streams.

"It doesn't matter to me because I love you!" Time seemed to slow down after she said this, as if nothing else mattered, and the door opened. A pair of strong arms lifted the sobbing woman to her feet, and she found herself looking into the eyes of the man she had just confessed her love to.

"Ichigo..."

"Orihime..."

END OF CHAPTER 4

This chapter is maybe a tad short, I know, but I hope you all enjoyed, and I hope to hear your opinions! Bleach is to be owned by the one who is named Tite Kubo, not being owned by the person who is myself.


	5. The Master Plan: chapter 5

Chapter 5...here's what we find out this chapter because I'm feeling generous. We find out if Ichigo loves Orihime, if Rukia's puking is REALLY due to a stomach virus or not, and what became of Uryuu...Enjoy. (Also since I haven't mentioned it in any of the previous chapters, I'm gonna go ahead and tell you what Renji's job is. He's a third grade teacher).

THE MASTER PLAN: CHAPTER 5

"Orihime..." the carrot top continued to stare at the girl before him, a mix of emotions welling up inside of him. Before he realized it, his arms reached out and he pulled her into a tight embrace. He was hugging her very tightly, as if the world would end if he let go.

"Orihime...I...I love you," he whispered. And he meant it with all of his heart. He didn't know how he had fallen in love so fast, but he had, and all that mattered to him right now was the woman in his arms.

Orihime gasped. She could feel more tears coming, tears of joy and fulfillment. She buried her head in his shoulder, allowing said tears to fall as she hugged him back. His arms tightened protectively around her; he realized at this moment that he was a fool for trying to avoid her. Quickly the man pulled away. There was a slight look of confusion on Orihime's face, which was banished away as he kissed her. This kiss, both of them noticed, grew at a rapid rate. Instead of the chaste, close-mouthed kisses they usually shared, this one was full of passion and desperation. Both individuals opened up to eachother immediately, allowing their tongues to meld as they pulled themselves closer together.

Not wanting neighbors to intrude, Ichigo backed into his apartment, taking her with him as the kiss continued and kicking the front door closed with his foot. Ichigo released his lips from hers, leaning down further to kiss passionately at her neck. The auburn haired girl moaned in pleasure. She was being completely engulfed by the passion and desire that was rising within her.

Picking Orihime up slightly off the ground and holding her against him while still kissing her delicate neck, Ichigo fumbled a bit up the stairs. Reaching the top, he made his way to the bedroom door, opening it swiftly and walking the both of them inside. Orihime let him, not resisting in the slightest as Ichigo practically slammed the door closed.

From then on their actions were a blur of moans, clothing being ripped off, and pure raw passion as the two lovers released their love unto one another.

* * *

Rukia was home alone. Renji insisted that she take the day off again after puking earlier that morning so she could rest and get better, and even though she usually fought suggestions like that, she had actually agreed for once. This was because now she wasn't so sure that her puking was due a stomach virus like she originally thought. She knew that it was irrational, and her head kept saying that she had to be wrong, that this thought that wouldn't leave the back of her mind was false. Her heart, however...kept telling her that she was carrying a child inside of her. Her and Renji's child. It wasn't that a baby would upset her; having a child of her own, she knew, would make her deliriously happy, so happy that her life would seem like a never-ending dream. It was just that all these emotions; uncertainty, anxiety, denial...they were all welling up inside until she couldn't take it any longer.

Standing with shaky legs, the small woman stumbled into the nearest bathroom in her home. Pulling down her pants and sitting on the toilet, she took a box of pregnancy tests from the cabinet. She had insisted that Renji take her to the drugstore on the way home yesterday so she could get some tampons. That had been a lie, of course, and she had picked up the pregnancy tests instead, knowing that he wouldn't have any desire to see the contents of the plastic bag she had brought back to the car. All today she had been debating with herself on whether to use one or not, but now it was to the point where she just couldn't take it anymore.

Hands shaking uncontrollably, Rukia took a test out of the box. Time seemed to stop then as she thought that the events of the next couple minutes could change her life completely.

* * *

Orihime's eyes slowly opened as the morning sun washed over her face in thin, even streaks through the blinds covering Ichigo's window. She looked over to see said man, sleeping soundly while the sheet and blanket covered his lower body and part of his upper body. She noted that he looked very peaceful as she felt satisfaction and fulfillment overcome her being. It was then that her eyes drifted over to the clock, widening when she realized what time it was. Jumping out of the bed, she hurriedly threw her clothes on, almost tripping when shoving on her pants and nearly ripping her shirt as she pulled it over her head with haste. If she didn't hurry then she was going to be late for her shift at the hospital, and that was unacceptable. She was about to run out the door when she stopped, hand hovering over the doorknob. She looked back at Ichigo's sleeping form, realizing that she just couldn't leave him there. She frantically began searching around the room for something to write on, yanking open cabinets until she found an envelope in his nightstand. Retrieving a pen from her pocket, she wrote.

_Dear Ichigo,_

_I'm very sorry, but I had to leave for my shift at the hospital. I really wish I could've stayed with you but there are people that need care. I hope it's okay and I had a wonderful time last night. I'll call you when I get off work._

_Love,_

_Orihime_

_P.S. I love you, Ichigo_

She blushed slightly at the last part, slamming the envelope and pen down on top of the nightstand as she scurried out the door.

* * *

"Rukia?" asked Renji on the phone, concerned. "What's up, are you okay?" The kids, luckily, were taking a test and were nice and silent for the moment. He hoped that the stomach virus wasn't worse than just that, a stomach virus. On the way back from Rangiku's house yesterday she had seemed very nervous, like something was troubling her. He had asked, but of course she just told him that it was nothing, she was fine.

"Renji...can you come home?" she asked. Renji couldn't recognize the emotion in her voice, it was different than he had ever heard from her. It was like it was a mix of too many emotions to count, like she was being overwhelmed by something very important.

"Sure, Rukia...why?" He was hoping to get maybe just a little bit of information out of her so he could at least have a clue what was wrong with her.

"Just...please come home, okay...please, Renji?" Renji could tell that she was about to cry, and didn't want to stress her further. His tone immediately reflected urgency and concern.

"I'm leaving right now, just hold on," he said. "I'll be home as fast as I can...Bye."

"Bye." With that Renji hung up the phone, shooting out of his seat and towards the door. The students all looked up, watching as their teacher began to depart. He turned back to face them.

"Joey, you're done with your test, right?" he asked. The small boy nodded. "Good. I need you buzz the office and tell them that I have to leave for something very important. Class, when the rest of you are done, I want the last person who finishes to get the math papers out of my desk and pass them out for homework. You can all leave after the end of day announcements." With that he zoomed out the door, running down the hallway towards the main door of the building.

* * *

"Oh god...where the hell am I?" Uryuu asked himself as his eyes drearily opened. The last thing he remembered was opening the door to a Beautiful blonde woman with humongous breasts. She had immediately punched him, which had effectively knocked him unconscious. Now he didn't know where he was.

"Oh god..." he mumbled, sitting up painfully while clutching his head. "I have a killer headache...did someone drug me?" He looked around. He was in some cheap, dirty motel room with cockroaches practically falling from the ceiling. Only then did he realize that he was buck naked.

"SHIT!" he yelled, pulling up covers to hide himself. What the hell was going on? He looked beside him, and saw something that made his brain malfunction. Beside him, in a motel room, on a bed, was a trucker. A fat, greasy, hairy trucker. Who was also naked. His face was horrified as he realized what must have transpired the night before.

"!"

* * *

Ichigo felt the darkness fading as he began to slowly wake himself up. He looked around wearily, searching for the auburn-haired girl whom he had had the most wonderful time with last night. He was confused at first when he realized she was gone, but then saw the note she had left for him on the nightstand.

"Had to leave...wish I could've stayed...wonderful time..." he smiled at the P.S. Message, whispering silently,

"Love you too, Hime." With a wide grin on his face, the carrot top hopped out of bed, pulling on a nearby bathrobe as he made his way to the attached bathroom to shower. He was happy, so happy, happier than he had been in a long time. He had a girl to love, a stable job, and good health. What more could a guy ask for?

* * *

"Rukia...Rukia...what's the matter?" asked Renji, panting as he slammed the door open. There was so much traffic that he had had to frantically run here from the school a couple miles away. His clothes were messy and disheveled and he was sweating all over.

"Renji..." spoke the small woman. She was sitting on the couch in the living room. Renji shut the door, running over to her. His breaths were still coming in panting heaves, but he couldn't care less at the moment. Right now all that mattered was his distressed wife. He kneeled down in front of her, face painted with concern as he put his hands on her small shoulders. Her head was ducked and her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably.

"Rukia!" said Renji in a panicked voice, shaking her slightly. "Rukia, what is it, what's wrong!"

"Renji..." she repeated. She raised her head to meet his eyes, and to his great surprise, her face was overflowing with not despair, but with...joy.

"Renji, it's amazing!" she exclaimed. She was happier than he had ever seen her, and she was crying, but...they were tears of joy. Tears of joy flowing down her cheeks as a joyful smile adorned her face. And she was laughing to, laughing and crying and smiling all at once. He was amazed, and his face, once dominated by concern, was now overcome by confusion.

"Rukia...?" he was glad that she wasn't sad or in pain or anything, but he couldn't find a reason why she would be so happy, so full of life. And it was only now that he realized that the emotion she had been trying to conceal over the phone was this. Pure happiness, so strong that it was as if nothing else mattered to her.

"Renji...I..." she was finding it difficult to speak through all these emotions, all this happiness and crying. Renji leaned a bit closer, extremely curious about what she was about to tell him. She took a deep breath, taking his large hand in hers and placing it over her stomach, resting her own hand over his. Their eyes locked.

"Renji...I'm pregnant!"

END OF CHAPTER 5

I'm in such a good mood after writing such a happy chapter. ^_^ So, yes, Uryuu has gotten his just desserts, Renji and Rukia are gonna have a baby(most of you probably already guessed that one)...(also now you can probably guess that "important thing" Rukia forgot to do in chapter 3), and Ichigo and Orihime have kissed and made up...and done *cough***** some...other activities. Anyways, Bleach is Tite Kubo's, not mine, and I hope you all liked the chapter. I always love opinions, so feel free to leave 'em.


	6. The Master Plan: chapter 6

Chapter 6 is here! Well, I had a little bit of the dreaded writer's block for this chapter, but once I got an idea it all started to come together! Warning: this chapter may cause you to have extremely warm and fluffy fuzzles inside. Enjoy!

The Master Plan: chapter 6

"I'm pregnant!"

Renji froze for a moment, trying to absorb what his wife had just said. She was...pregnant? By the look on her face and this whole situation, he knew that she couldn't be lying, not even she would go to those lengths to prank him. Renji continued to stare straight into Rukia's eyes as a plethora of emotions flooded him. Time seemed to go on forever. It was as if all these feelings he suddenly had were racing, racing to the finish line to see which one would dominate him.

The feeling that ended up besting the others, though, was the same as Rukia's. Happiness. Pure, raw, unadulterated joy and love filled him as a smile broke out across his face. Keeping the hand Rukia had placed on her stomach where it was, he used his other arm to wrap around her small shoulders and pull her to him in a loving embrace. Rukia's own free hand snaked up around his neck, and she continued to allow her happy tears to flow down her face, neither caring that Renji's shirt was getting soaked by it.

"We're gonna have a baby," said Renji. Usually that phrase was a shocked question filled with fear and uncertainty, but for him it was a statement, a statement filled with love and joy and absolutely positive energy. He felt like he could've said that over and over and over again until he lost the ability to speak, and even then he would continue to say it.

"Yes," replied Rukia. In other situations she would've usually gotten frustrated with Renji for repeating what she had just said, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She could've been reminded of that fact over and over, and not cared, because she loved it. Loved the fact that she and Renji were going to have a tiny bundle of joy that the two of them had made together purely out of the love that they shared. A love that would soon also be shared with their child.

"I love you," said Renji. He had said this to her so many times, more times than were possible to count, but right now...right now he felt like saying it meant more than it ever had before, was filled with more love than it ever had been.

"I love you too, Renji..." Rukia buried herself deeper into her husband's arms as she said this, and her own feelings about saying that statement mimicked his own. Because now it wasn't just their love for eachother. It was the love for their unborn child, the one which was slowly growing inside of Rukia as the two of them sat there. This moment, both of them thought, this moment was the best moment of their lives. The love, the happiness, the joy...it was perfect. Simply perfect.

* * *

"Hisana-san!" said Orihime, strolling into her favorite patient's room. "How are you today?" Orihime's smile was one of happiness and joy. She was glowing happily, more so than usual, and Hisana couldn't help but notice that the auburn haired nurse emitted an almost chillingly positive aura that screamed of her obviously upbeat mood.

"Well, Orihime-chan, I see that you're very cheerful today," spoke Hisana, a small smile gracing her features as Orihime checked her IV's. Orihime simply smiled wider in response, continuing with her activity as she answered.

"I'm happier than I think I've ever been," said Orihime softly as she switched her attention to the woman before her. What Hisana saw in her eyes was love. Pure love and compassion. It was different from before. Before Orihime's eyes had held a kind of...puppy love, if you will. A strong liking, and almost pure love, but not quite there to actual fated soulmate love. It was much different now, though. Yes, now it was the real deal. The sickly woman smiled.

"I can see that you're in love," commented Hisana. Orihime's face turned from that of completely in love to a surprised state as her cheeks flushed crimson.

"H...How did you know?" Orihime was stunned. She had never known that Hisana had the ability to read feelings so well. Said woman chuckled.

"Well, even though I'm not an old hag yet I do have quite a few years on me, and those years have taught me many things about the world," she said. She added quickly, "And don't forget, I do have a husband whom I love with all my heart." The look on Orihime's face after her statement caused Hisana to break into hysterics, so much so that tears even began to bead in her eyes. When her fit subsided, the small woman decided to continue the conversation.

"So, I'm assuming that Kurosaki-kun is the one who has stolen your sweet little heart, ne?" Orihime flushed a bit then nodded. Hisana's smile softened then as Orihime began to elaborate on her ever-so-strong-feelings for the carrot top.

"I just...I love him so much that I can't find the words to describe it...he completes me in a way that nothing else and no one else ever has. I'm happiest when I'm around him, and...and..." she mumbled the last part and her face reddened, causing her patient to lean in closer in an attempt to pick up her mumblings.

"What was the last part, Orihime-chan?" she asked curiously. Orihime's cheeks grew even redder as she answered.

"I-It was nothing Hisana-san, it was just a little joke so it's okay if you didn't hear it!" Orihime was laughing nervously now, waving her hands around wildly for emphasis, wishing that she hadn't made an attempt to be funny. Hisana smirked.

"Don't be so nervous, just tell me," replied Hisana gently. She was rather curios to hear her nurse's joke.

"I...I just said that..." again the curvy woman's sentence ended in a trail of mumbles, and for the first time in her life, Hisana felt close to the feeling of frustration. She smiled sweetly.

"It's okay, if you really don't want to tell me, then-"

"-san!" Orihime practically shouted the statement all in one breath, letting a considerable amount of air leave her lungs when she was finished. Most, if not all, of the blood in her body had rushed straight to her face and she stood there, awaiting a response from her patient.

It had been a bit difficult to piece together, but Hisana had heard it and once it was thoroughly processed in her brain Hisana had to bite down on her lip to keep from breaking into an uncontrollable fit of laughter again. When all the potential giggles were out, she said,

"You are quite funny Orihime." Her statement was accompanied by a joyful smile, aimed straight at Orhime. The cheerful nurse returned it, feeling completely content.

Suddenly, the door was slammed open to reveal a smiling and panting Rukia. Both individuals inside the room wore looks of surprise as she practically ran in, throwing the door closed behind her.

"R-Rukia-san..." said Orihime. Though surprised, she quickly remembered her manners, moving towards the door as she said,

"I..I'll go now, I'm sure you don't want me intruding on-" she was cut off as Rukia's hand dashed out to grab her own tightly just as she was reaching for the doorknob.

"Orihime...*pant*...you have to stay for this," said the raven haired woman simply. Said nurse blinked for a moment, surprised, then nodded.

"H-Hai."Rukia released Orihime's hand, looking back and forth between her and Hisana. Both were dripping with curiosity, anxious about what Rukia was about to tell them. It had to be very important if the small woman had run to the room for it, which she obviously had.

Rukia took a moment to even out her far from steady breathing before she spoke. "Guys...I'm pregnant!" The eyes of both of her listeners instantly widened. Orihime was the first to react, squealing at the top of her lungs.

"Rukia-san, you and Abarai-kun...you're going to have a baby!" she said, excited beyond belief. Rukia nodded. Another squeal.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Orihime grabbed the small woman in an enthusiastic hug, squeezing her tightly. Rukia smiled at her excitement, hugging her back. Suddenly, Rangiku burst in.

"What, who's gonna have a baby!" she yelled. Orihime, Rukia, and even Hisana sweatdropped as Orihime released Rukia. All three thought that either Orihime's squealing had been too loud or Rangiku had a built-in gossip monitor. Considering the personality of the blonde haired woman, they bargained it was the latter.

"Um...Rukia-san and Abarai-kun are, but...how did you-" she was cut off as Rangiku dashed towards the now pregnant raven haired woman and shouted,

"Oh my goodness! Really! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" She picked Rukia up, practically glomping the small woman as she embraced her tightly, not aware that she was also suffocating her with her surprisingly real breasts.

"C...Can't...breath..." pleaded Rukia, statement muffled by Rangiku's bosom. The blonde quickly realized that she was squeezing the life out of her much smaller friend, quickly setting her back on her feet. Upon release, Rukia was choking for air and took many deep breaths in an attempt to regain a normal breathing pattern again. But before she could even do that, Rangiku asked,

"Ooh, can I feel your stomach!" Rukia took a few more breaths before answering.

"I...I guess so, but I'm only about a month in, so it's not like the baby can kick or anything-" Rangiku squealed again, crouching in front of Rukia and placing a hand her now taut belly, which was scheduled to be growing considerably over the next few months. Rukia looked down at her, sweatdropping yet again.

"Oh...I have to go tell everyone!" exclaimed Rangiku, jumping up and zooming out of the room, disappearing just as suddenly as she had come. There was an awkward silence, the content atmosphere disturbed by Rangiku's sudden intrusion. Rukia was the first to break it.

"...O-kaaaayyyyy..." Honestly, Rukia hadn't spent a lot of time around the big-breasted woman, most of what she knew about her she had gained from Orihime, but...now she realized that Rangiku got very excited about things that could be considered 'juicy gossip' (which a woman being knocked up was a prime example of), and that the whole hospital would catch word of her pregnancy by the end of the hour.

"Rukia," spoke Hisana, surprising both said woman and Orihme. The two turned around to face her, and Rukia's eyes locked with her sister's.

"I'm very happy for you both," she said, smiling. Rukia knew that her sister was very happy for her, as happy as could be, but she could still sense a hint of sadness in her sister. For Hisana and Byakuya had always desired children themselves. Byakuya had been against it at first, fearing that it would worsen Hisana's condition. But Hisana had persisted, saying that she at least wanted to try. So they tried. There were actually a few pregnancies that started, but all of them ultimately ended up in miscarriage, no doubt because of Hisana's poor health. No one dared mention that, though, not even the clan elders who had been strongly against their marriage in the first place and hated her down to their cold, blackened, prejudiced hearts. After about the fifth miscarriage they had stopped, knowing that at that point it wasn't going to work, and not wanting to face more heartbreak. Both were emotionally heartbroken, especially Hisana. Byakuya's cold exterior had allowed him to hide it and go on with his job and other matters, even though it saddened him deeply. Hisana, though...Hisana had been crushed. She would lock herself in her room all day, crying and refusing to eat. The combination of all the stress and sadness and lack of taking care of herself had caused her health to worsen even more. Despite support from everyone, this went on for months until her health had deteriorated so bad that she had to be admitted to the hospital permanently. She hadn't been home once since then, and even though the passing years had ultimately cured her deep depression, Rukia knew that it still pained her to be reminded of the fact that she couldn't have a baby of her own. She smiled sadly at her sister.

"Arigato, Hisana..."

THE NEXT DAY

"A baby, huh?" asked Ikkaku as he took a seat next to Renji in the teacher's lounge while taking a bite of his sandwich. "You've got your work cut out for you, ya know that?"

"Yeah, yeah," replied Renji, uncurling the top of his brown paper bag and opening it, reaching inside for the contents.

"I'm serious!" exclaimed Ikkaku. "Not only is shorty gonna-"

"Hey!" interrupted Renji, completely pausing the process of retrieving food items from his lunch bag. "I thought I told you to stop callin' Rukia shorty!" Renji was on the verge of being pissed off now. Ever since Ikkaku had met Rukia, he kept calling her shorty, and even though Renji constantly told him to knock it off, he just kept doing it.

"Okay, okay, sorry man," apologized Ikkaku, putting his hands up in defense. "Anyways, as I was saying, not only is your wife gonna get strange food cravings and junk, but she's gonna get all pouty and beg you to go out and get her whatever the hell she's craving for, not to mention just whatever the hell she wants in general. And plus she's gonna get all bitchy and moody because of hormones. One minute she'll be slapping the shit out of you with a flyswatter yellin' about how you made her all fat and miserable, then the next minute she'll be cryin' and apologisin' all over the place, then the next minute she'll be all happy and cheery and "is there anything I can do for you dear", and then even the next minute she'll be crawlin' all over you beggin' for sex." Renji raised a tattooed eyebrow.

"This coming from the guy that hasn't had a girlfriend in three years?" he asked teasingly, adding, "Unless, of course, you count your stalker." Renji was referring to Mizuho Asano, a girl that had all out stalked Ikkaku about a year back, going so far as digging through his garbage. Ikkaku had gotten a restraining order and it was all over now, but the matter was still something the bald man didn't like to revisit.

"SH-SHUT THE HELL UP!" he roared as Renji broke into hysterics at the face he made to the comment. Just then Yumichika came and joined them.

"Well, what are we talking about over here?" he asked curiously. Ikkaku was too busy mumbling angrily in the corner to answer him, so Renji did.

"Well, actually we were talking about me being an expectant father." Yumichika smiled.

"Well, congratulations to the both of you," he said. "I just pray the baby inherits Rukia's physical features." A vein popped in Renji's head.

"Wh-What was that?" he asked evilly, a dark aura surrounding him.

"I mean, think about it," said Yumichika, completely unfazed by Renji's sudden hostility. "Would you rather have the baby come out with scary, jagged tattoos and a threatening appearance, or would you rather have it come out looking innocent and charming and having big, cute eyes?" Renji joined Ikkaku in the corner of angry grumbling, trying to remember why he was friends with these guys in the first place. The pricks.

END OF CHAPTER 6

Wow...that was the longest chapter I've ever written, and honestly...I personally think it was the one of the best one's of the story. What about you guys? I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo does, and I would love to hear all and any opinions!


	7. The Master Plan: chapter 7

Well, sorry about the late update...it's not only writer's block, but there's just a conflict going on with another author over one of my other stories, and it's just a big mess that's stressing me out quite a bit. But, anyways, hope you enjoy.

The master plan: chapter 7

Giggles arose from the happy Orihime as she spoke with Ichigo on his couch. They were having quite a nice time, kissing and talking about all kinds of silly things.

"So, Orihime, what _do _you think I would do if I were a grumpy troll living under a bridge?" Ichigo asked his girlfriend, smiling after his admission.

"I...*giggle*...think that you wouldn't be a grumpy troll at all, I think that you would be a nice troll that would let everyone through without a fee," she said, glowing brightly at their hilarious banter.

"Nah, I would totally charge everyone," he disagreed, making his best troll face so he could impersonate one, causing Orihime's giggles to escalate. "RRR...I'M THE TROLL, GIVE ME A GOLD COIN IF YOU WISH TO PASS OVER MY BRIDGE!" he said in a gristly voice, and Orihime broke out into full out laughter, slapping her hand on the couch to show her level of amusement. Ichigo grinned. He always did enjoy making Orihime laugh out loud like this. But as she brought her eyes up to look at him again, he decided to ask her something that had been plaguing his mind for some time.

"Hey Orihime," he said sweetly, and the auburn haired girl immediately laid her laughter to rest as she observed the sudden serious yet happy look her boyfriend had on his face.

"Ya wanna move in?" he asked her. The question totally caught her by surprise. He wanted her to move in...? It was so sudden that her brain was thrown into jumbles.

"Moving in...?" she asked him, staring at the carrot top with wide eyes. She almost couldn't believe that he was asking her this, it was so soon, so unexpected.

"Well...I mean, it's only been a month and a half..." before she continued, Ichigo laid a quick kiss on her lips, pulling back to stare at her now blushing face. Surprisingly, he wasn't angry or anything...he was just as happy as he had been before.

"It's okay, Hime," he said, smiling wider. "Just a suggestion. If you don't wanna move in, that's perfectly fine too. I was just asking, it's not like I'm trying to pressure you or anything."

"It's not that I don't want to!" she quickly corrected, flailing her arms as if in an attempt to disperse the air of what he thought was her disapproval on the matter. "It's just...it was so sudden that I can't think straight right now..." her eyes moved away from his, down to stare at the couch cushion she was sitting on. Ichigo could sense her distress, and he reached out one of his hands to gently cup her cheek.

"Think about it as long as you need," he said. "And don't try to decide for anyone else either; just decide based on what you want. Whatever your decision, you know I'll still love ya." His tone was tender and heart-melting as he said this, causing Orihime's own heart to flutter. Her smile returned, as her own hand reached up to cover his and she looked back up at him, eyes twinkling in joy.

"Love you too."

* * *

Rukia sat on the easy chair in her and Renji's living room, one leg crossed over the other as she flipped through a catalog of baby items. Strollers, cribs, car seats...so many things they would have to have for their little one. _Goodness_... she thought. _You never know how much of a commitment it is until it actually happens to you..._ Renji was at the store, getting groceries, and when he got back they were supposed to go for the baby's first checkup. Suddenly...

"Good lord..." she said aloud, as she felt that familiar feeling of discomfort in her stomach. Throwing down the catalog, the small girl ran for the bathroom, proceeding to vomit like hell as soon as she was above the toilet. This, unfortunately, was one of the downsides to having a kid. About the time she was done, she heard the sound of the door unlocking, and the footsteps of her red haired husband coming in through the front door.

"Renji..." she called, sounding slightly miserable as she flushed the toilet, exiting out the bathroom as she walked down the hallway to meet him. Her eyes widened considerably as she saw him. Though plastic bags filled with groceries hung from his arms, the large man was also literally carrying an innumerable amount of books.

"R-Renji..." was all she was able to choke out, as he piled about half the stack in her arms, seemingly unaware that she had just gotten finished with vomiting. When he did, the smaller pile of books that was now in his arms also allowed her to see his face, grinning like crazy.

"Rukia, check it out, I've got all kinds of books," he said excitedly, emptying his armful on their kitchen table along with the groceries. Rukia sweatdropped.

"I can see that," the small girl replied, stunned that he had already gotten all of this. Renji took the books he had given her earlier and dumped them beside the others as he proceeded to pick each one up and show it to her.

"I've got books about what to expect during pregnancy, how to properly take care of the baby, all the things we're going to need to buy, what..." Rukia didn't hear her husband's rambling anymore, for she was in complete disbelief that Renji had this much of a paternal instinct. _Damn, he's got more parental instinct than __**me**_, she thought, and all she could do was stare, that was until he walked away, ushering for her to follow. She did so, and began listening again.

"Not just that, but we've gotta baby proof the house," he continued. Rukia couldn't even speak, she was just so stunned, more than she was sure she ever had been in her life. "See these sharp wall corners?" he asked her. She nodded. "We've gotta get some padding on these so the baby doesn't hurt himself." Rukia's face contorted in anger.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK IT'LL BE A BOY!" she roared, punching him smack dab in the face, causing the large man to fall to the ground.

"Rukia what the-!"

"ARE YOU SOME SEXIST BASTARD THAT WILL ONLY LOVE YOUR CHILD IF IT'S A BABY BOY!"

"How the hell did you-!"

"ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE ME IF I GO THROUGH 12 HOURS OF INCREDIBLY PAINFUL LABOR AND END UP BEARING YOU A LITTLE GIRL YOU BASTARD!"

"What are you talking about, I would never-!"

"Just...just leave me alone you son of a bitch! I hate you!" she cried, and tears began uncontrollably streaming down her face. Renji was dumbfounded. Just a minute ago she had been a roaring wildcat and he a frightened field mouse hiding in a crevice, but now...she seemed overwhelmed with grief. Wherever Ikkaku was right now, Renji was sure that the bald man was laughing his ass off.

"Rukia, hold on a minute, okay, I'm not-"

"Shut up!" she interrupted him. "Shut up, I hate you!" She continued crying, and covering her face with her hands, the small girl ran into the couple's bedroom. Renji shot up from his place on the ground to follow her, but was met with a door slammed in his face.

"Come on, Rukia, open up," he pleaded, attempting to open the door himself only to discover that it was locked up tight. "Come on, you know that I would never do anything like that, I'm going to love you and our child no matter how it comes out okay?" The sounds of sobbing on the other side stopped, and there was a pregnant silence that seemed to go forever until Renji broke it.

"Rukia?" he called. "Rukia, are you-" he was cut off as the door suddenly opened to reveal a downcast Rukia, head drooping as her eyes stared at the ground so that he couldn't see her face. She walked forward into him, wrapping her arms around his middle as her head buried itself in his abdomen. Again, confusion surged through him. But before he could get in a word Rukia spoke.

"Renji...I'm so sorry!" she cried, and the waterworks started again. Renji completely forgot about her mood swings as his protective instinct kicked in, and he sunk to the ground, wrapping his arms around her tightly as she fell with him. Her tears continued, wetting the fabric that covered his chest, but he didn't care.

"It's okay, alright?" he tried to reassure her, petting her head with one hand as the other stayed around her. Rukia, however, seemed unaware of this as she kept blubbering on.

"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I don't hate you!" she cried. "I don't hate you...I don't hate you...I love you!" Renji continued his comforting as he continued to try and calm her down with his words.

"I know you don't hate me, okay? Now stop crying and calm down, it's alright...deep breaths..." Rukia did as he said, taking in ragged, broken breaths until her crying died down completely. Renji smiled.

"See, it's alright," he said softly. "I love ya, kay?" Rukia nodded, and then there was silence. But out of the blue, Rukia broke that silence as she spoke,

"Renji?"

"Yeah?" The small girl raised her head to look at him, and their eyes locked. A wide, amused grin slowly spread out across Rukia's face, as she said, in giggles,

"You're a real sucker for my acting, ya know that?"

* * *

"Byakuya-sama!" called a cheerful Hisana, and her eyes began to sparkle in joy as she watched her beloved husband enter the room. Her cheerful smile was returned by said man, as he closed the door behind himself and took a seat in the chair which rested next to her bedside.

"How have you been, Hisana?" he asked her softly, taking her small hand in hers and stroking the back of it tenderly with his thumb as he shot her the most loving gaze she had ever seen in the world. She swore that her heart literally melted whenever she saw him.

"I am doing well, Byakuya-sama," she answered, attempting to hide the excitement in her voice. Before her husband could ask about it, though, she continued, "But there is some big news that I am sure you will be very happy about." Byakuya's eyebrow arched in anticipation.

"News?" Hisana grinned, glad that she could be the one to see his first reaction.

"Ah, so Rukia has not told you yet?" she asked, slightly teasing him to see if he would be curious enough to be bothered from the withheld information.

"Told me what?" he asked, and she could tell, that, yes, he was bothered by it, as his featured showed slight irritation. The raven haired woman chuckled.

"Well...Renji and Rukia's family will be growing soon," she answered tenderly, looking him straight in the eye. Byakuya immediately got it.

"So...Rukia is pregnant then?" he asked. His gaze hardened, and he became more serious at the moment. Yes, he was very happy as well, Hisana could tell, but she also immediately identified the source of his seriousness.

"The clan elders have no say in their lives," said Hisana seriously, as she looked her husband straight in the eye. "The Kuchiki elders cannot dictate their actions. She is already pregnant, and there is nothing they can do about it." Byakuya returned her serious gaze, but much more ominously than his wife.

"You and I both know that that's not true," he replied. Hisana was on the brink of tears at his point, for she knew he spoke the truth.

"Byakuya-sama...you mustn't let them...you must control the family, you hear me!" she yelled, and for the first time in his life Kuchiki Byakuya had heard his wife raise her voice. He knew that she was serious about this, more serious than she had ever been about anything before. His grip on her hand tightened.

"Hisana..." he said. "You and I were not able to have children of our own, but...I swear to you, now that there is a child being born, a child whose birth we _can _control...on my life, I promise that they will be protected." Tears began streaming down Hisana's face against her will, and she pulled her husband into a tight embrace, which he returned.

"Byakuya-sama...I am going to hold you to that, and I myself make the same swear. If I have to get up out of this bed and sail the world and back for that baby, then I swear on my life that I will." Byakuya stood up then, and they looked each other in the eye, the locking of gray and violet confirming their previous oaths.

"I will speak to them as soon as I return," promised Byakuya, as he departed the room. Hisana watched her husband's back as he disappeared out the door, the seriousness within her not yet dissipated.

"Arigato, Byakuya-sama..."

THE NEXT DAY

"Yo, Orihime," said Renji, as he and Rukia approached said girl outside the room of Hisana's hospital room.

"Oh, hello, Rukia-san, Renji-san," she greeted. "Byakuya-san is with Hisana-san right now, but I'm sure that they won't mind if you join them." She quickly added nervously, "But, um, Rukia-san...could I talk to you about something please?" Rukia was caught off guard by the question, but complied anyhow.

"Sure, what's the matter?" She said quickly to Renji, "You go in for now without me, I'll be in in a sec." The redhead nodded, entering the room as his wife was pulled to the side by their auburn haired friend.

"So what's-"

"-Rukia-san...how long was it before you and Renji-san moved in together when you started dating?" she asked, cutting her friend off completely. Rukia grinned.

"So Ichigo asked you to move in, did he?" she asked. Orihime blushed, causing Rukia's grin to widen.

"Well, first of all..." the small girl began. "Me and Renji's situation really different, since we got together in high school, and up until the point when we confessed our feelings for the other, we had had those feelings for quite a while, and knew that because of the strong bond we had from growing up so close to the other that we would never break each others hearts. So when so when we turned 18 and graduated, we moved in together immediately, and then went to college. And after college, we pretty much got hitched right away." Orihime's smile dissipated.

"Oh..." she said sadly. "So then you don't know what I should do..."

"Hold on!" exclaimed Rukia, waving her hands around for emphasis. "I never said I couldn't help you, I just said that basing what you should do off of what me and Renji did would be a bad idea!" Orihime's grin returned.

"Really!" Rukia let out a breath she didn't realized she was holding in, and then got serious, looking her friend square in the eye as she spoke.

"Orihime, if you feel it's time, then by all means, you should do it," said Rukia. "On the other hand...if that's moving too fast for you, then just tell Ichigo that you're not ready. I'm sure he'll understand." She smiled. "It's as simple as that."

"Actually...Ichigo-kun did tell me what you just did..." as she said this, she was twiddling her fingers nervously.

"Well then just do what you want," repeated Rukia, grinning up at the woman. Orihime's eyes sparkled, and Rukia half thought that she could've started crying right then and there.

"Arigato, Rukia-san!" said Orihime suddenly, giving her a quick bow before running off to her other duties. Rukia smirked after her, before returning her mind to the task at hand.

Entering the room, her smile disappeared as she observed everyone else's dead serious expressions, even Renji's, and he himself looked half between seriousness and half between being ready to beat some motherfucker to a bloody pulp.

"Rukia..." came a voice. "Rukia's eyes focused on her brother immediately. She had no idea what was going on, nor why everyone was like this.

"Nii-sama..."

"There is something important we must discuss..."

END OF CHAPTER 7

Well, there's chapter 7! I really am starting to like cliffhangers. And for those of you that are wondering what Orihime's joke was in chappy 6, sorry about that, for some reason it got cut out when I uploaded the file onto document manager, but basically her joke was saying that the sex was pretty good as a way to joke about their relationship being based off sex, even though it isn't. Well, as always, hope you enjoyed, and you'll be happy to know that after writing this chapter I have a bunch more ideas so the next chapters shouldn't take too long. I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo does, and I love all opinions!


	8. The Master Plan: chapter 8

Chapter 8! Now we're gonna find out what's going on in the RenRuki plot. Or will we? I don't know, it really depends on how evil I'm feeling today. Hope you enjoy!

The Master Plan: chapter 8

"There is something important that we must discuss."

Rukia was dumbfounded. "N-Nii-sama...what do you mean?" she asked, confused at why everyone was solemn and serious instead of bursting with joy because of her pregnancy.

"It's those stupid, fucking clan elders..." answered Renji for him. The large man was angry beyond belief, angrier than he had ever been in his life, with his large fists balled up so tightly Rukia was afraid he would draw blood, and she couldn't deny that seeing him like this scared her slightly. And Hisana, who usually had a strong policy against coarse language, let it pass without a word, as a situation like this allowed anger to dictate one's words, she felt.

Rukia immediately understood. Her mood and aura automatically mimicked everyone elses, as her eyes went downcast. A combination of sadness and anger rose within her as she thought about them.

"Yesterday I informed them of your pregnancy," continued Byakuya. If it was possible, it seemed as if his tone was becoming even colder, signaling that he hadn't even gotten to the worst part yet.

"What did they say?" asked Rukia solemnly. She was dreading the answer. Ever since Hisana had married the both of them into the Kuchiki clan, the elders had been meddling in affairs of theirs and trying to sabotage their lives and happiness. The main concern, at first, had of course been Byakuya and Hisana's marriage, but as Byakuya was the head of the clan he had quickly silenced their complaints. After that, though, they targeted Rukia, who had wanted very badly to stay friends with Renji. She had only been 6 at the time, but before the sisters had entered the Kuchiki clan they had been homeless and very poor. Living on the streets, they had met Renji around the time Rukia was 4. Renji was the same age as her and was also living on the streets as an orphan, just like them. From the time they had met, Renji had been Rukia's only and best friend and vice versa, and the two would often keep each other company while Hisana would go out job hunting. Hisana, who had been 18 at the time, would watch the two of them play and wrestle when she was too tired or weak to look for a job, and since Renji had no one else he had stuck with them, going where they went and sleeping where they slept, almost as if he were one of the family, which he was treated like. Renji and Rukia had been inseparable, and when Rukia and Hisana had been taken into the Kuchiki's, Rukia was old enough to know how class structure worked, and knew what being in a noble family might mean for her friendship with Renji, who was still a street rat.

So she had begged and pleaded to be able to stay friends with him, going so far as refusing to eat until she was allowed to see him. Renji, who was still on the streets when Rukia and Hisana had moved into the Kuchiki manor, stayed as close to the manor as he could without being chased away be the guards, no doubt in hopes that he would still be able to keep in contact with Rukia. The clan elders had forbidden Rukia from seeing him, for obvious reasons, and she had persisted, that was until Byakuya himself, who was still fresh off of fighting to be with Hisana, gave in, not having the energy at that point to fight for what at that time he thought was just a simple childhood friendship that had no depth and that Rukia would forget about in a few months.

Little did he know, he was very wrong.

At first, even though Rukia was disheartened about Byakuya's allowing the elders to keep her away from Renji(she had expected for her brother-in-law to back her), she had still tried to go be with him, attempting to escape the manor at night several times, but no matter how many times she tried and no matter how stealthy she was, she had never even reached the gate. Not only that, but she continued to refuse to eat, growing even skinnier than she had been living on the streets, and it got to the point where she had to be force fed to be kept alive. And after god knows how many attempts at escape, she had...given up. She had given up, just like that. Her attitude took a major turn, going from angry and rebellious to just miserable and depressed.

By the time she had reached that stage, both her and Renji had turned 7, and Rukia didn't even seem like she had a reason for living. She still didn't eat, but at that point it was more like she couldn't find a reason to eat and keep living, rather than a hunger strike kind of refusal like before. She never talked, either. Ever. She would spend all day looking out the window, staring out it endlessly, eyes showing nothing, and at night, even though it was faint, she could be heard crying herself to sleep in her bedroom.

Around the time this was happening was the time that Byakuya began to realize just how deep the bond between Renji and Rukia was, and finally listened to Hisana(who had been wanting deeply for him to fight for them, and who had been trying to herself), after which he did fight the elders. Soon enough, though it was hard, he had beaten them, and Rukia was filled with unimaginable joy at the fact that she was able to see Renji after almost a year apart. The exact minute she had been told, the small girl had run off the manor grounds faster than anyone thought possible, tears of happiness filling her purple eyes. Luckily, Renji had never moved from where he was when they had first been taken in, and Rukia only had to run about a mile or so before she found him. Hisana and Byakuya, who had followed after her, watched as the two children embraced happily, Rukia still crying and Renji happy as could be, after which Renji hugged Hisana and was introduced to Byakuya.

And from then on Rukia was always positively joyful. She started willingly eating again, and would cheerfully greet everyone she saw, even the nasty, coldhearted elders of the clan that hated her. Not to mention that literally every day she would be gone at dawn, before anyone in the household had awoken, to go and see Renji(the elders still insisted that he at least stay off Kuchiki property), and she would never return until long after dinner time. But neither Byakuya nor Hisana ever confronted her about this, as they observed how truly happy she was, especially in comparison to how she had been before.

And when the children began going to school only shortly after being reunited, Rukia begged again, this time to attend public school with Renji rather than being sent to an expensive private school. Again the elders protested, and again Byakuya overruled them, and with that Rukia's wish was again granted. When he had told her, she had hugged him tightly, thanking him more times than he could count, and he could truly see that what he was doing was worthwhile, as it was making two children extremely happy.

So Rukia and Renji continued going to public schools together, all the way through high school. And in their junior year, when they were 17, was when their strong friendship had officially turned into a romance. They had tried to keep it secret at first, for they both knew that the elders would try to split them up again. But it was mainly Hisana who had seen a change in Rukia's behavior, that eventually busted them. Every day, Rukia was getting home later and later, and when she would ever daydream or zone out, Hisana would noticed that a blush would spread out across her cheeks. Eventually Hisana asked her about this, after which, surprisingly, Rukia broke down completely and told Hisana everything about it. She had cried uncontrollably into her older sister's shirt, begging her not to let the family tear them apart, and Hisana had consoled her younger sister, promising that that wasn't going to happen. Hisana informed Byakuya, who had already been having his own suspicions, of this, and again they had to fight the family in order to keep Renji and Rukia together.

It took longer this time, and they had to fight harder, as now it was more than just a friendship, it was a romantic relationship, but the family was eventually overwhelmed again, after which everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially the young couple. Not surprisingly, after Rukia moved out and got a job right after graduating high school(Renji was already employed and together they were able to afford a decent apartment), the family didn't bat an eye, having already come to terms with the two being involved romantically, and most likely glad to be rid of her. Rukia didn't ask for any help through college and only her brother offered any, which she refused, the thought of taking money that was from that coldhearted and evil clan(excluding her brother and sister of course)disgusting her. Luckily, she was able to get an art scholarship(in photography specifically, as she couldn't draw to save her life), and Renji was able to go on an athletic scholarship(many of his coaches were disappointed when later in life he decided to go into teaching rather than sports).

And right after college, they hadn't wanted to alert the family of their plans to get married, the only people they told being Byakuya and Hisana, who were the only two people that they allowed to come and watch as they practically eloped, marrying quickly and discreetly and not having any kind of big ceremony or anything. Shortly after was when they bought the house which they lived in now, and though the clan was displeased at their marriage, there was no point to protest against it, as it was already done.

But now...now there was no telling how they would react, because now it was more than just two people of different classes being together romantically; it was the two kinds of blood, noble and commoner(even though Rukia wasn't a Kuchiki by blood) being mixed. To this, there truly was no telling what they would do. Byakuya, however, was about to inform her.

"They want...for you to terminate the pregnancy," said Byakuya. Renji's fists tightened as Rukia's eyes widened. Her small body began trembling, shaking uncontrollably as she suddenly stumbled back a bit, now having to fight for balance as her legs grew weak. Just the thought that they would want her to abort her child...

"No...no, never, I refuse, tell them I refuse!" she screamed. She was close to tears, and could barely even process a thought as she sunk to the ground, hugging herself around the stomach. Renji was in front of her in a second, also on the ground as he embraced her tightly.

"I will never allow it, I promise," came Byakuya's voice. Renji stood up, lifting his wife up with him, and she grabbed his arm tightly as soon as they were back on their feet. Rukia was about to speak, about to thank her brother for everything he was doing for them, for everything he had done for them, but was surprised when Renji beat her to it.

"Arigato, Kuchki-san," he said, bowing. "You have always fought for us and our love, and now you are fighting for our child. For that, we are both unimaginably grateful." Rukia decided to speak too, adding in her own words.

"Hai, nii-sama," she said, also bowing in respect. "I don't know how either of us could ever thank you for everything you've done for us for all these years...and nee-san, too, you've always been there as well."

"You should not be so formal," said Byakuya. "You are kin to the both of us, so there is no need to act like strangers." Renji and Rukia nodded, after which Byakuya continued. "There is no need for thanks, as both of us care a great deal for you both. And again, I promise that I will do everything in my power to stop the Kuchiki clan from harassing or pressuring you about this. You're child will be born safely, and they will just have to accept it." Hisana added,

"Yes; I promise to you, we will make sure that you two and the little one are safe, under any and all circumstances." Again, the couple nodded, feeling gratitude consume them.

They knew now; whatever happened, their baby would be safe.

END OF CHAPTER 8

Okay, well RenRuki plot has been explained...sorry, I know it was a bit short and there was no IchiHime, but I just felt that this was the best place to end it. I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo does, and I love and appreciate all comments!


	9. The Master Plan: chapter 9

Yes, finally, an update...I'm VERY sorry for my lateness, but there's so much going on with everyone still recovering from the holiday season and all...anyway, hope you enjoy!

The Master Plan: chapter 9

Orihime Inoue shouldered her phone up against her cheek as she continued packing her possessions into a cardboard box which was labeled 'clothing' on the outside with a black sharpie. On the other end of the call was her thrilled boyfriend.

"Really!" he asked excitedly. "You're gonna move in!"

"Yep!" answered Orihime cheerily. Her smile dropped as a thought came to mind. "I mean, unless you were just messing around..."

"N-No!" assured Ichigo, sensing her sadness. "It's just, I'm surprised!" Orihime's smile returned to her face.

"Well, then, I can be done with packing and ready to come to your place tomorrow," she said, folding up a sweater before setting it in the box, on top of her other garments. The two exchanged good byes, and then Orihime took the phone from her ear, closing it up and stuffing it in her pocket.

After she had filled the box up with all the clothing she could fit inside, the auburn-haired girl practically let herself fall back from her sitting position into the warm bedding beneath her, and sighed in content. She was so happy right now...

* * *

Renji walked slowly down the slightly chipped and worn sidewalk in silence, easily carrying his melancholy wife with him on his back. They were coming home from the hospital(the two usually walked from their house to there and back since it wasn't far), and neither was in the mood for celebration, even though it would usually be proper that they should be. Neither soon-to-be parent could get their mind off of the horrid request that the Kuchiki family expected them to carry out.

'_They want...for you to terminate the pregnancy.'_

Both of them were utterly disgusted and very upset by this, but the most affected was definitely Rukia, whose powerful motherly instinct drove her to protect her unborn child at any and all cost. And earlier tonight had been the first time she had fully realized that that meant protecting herself, not allowing herself to be careless or foolish, and restraining herself from jumping into certain situations even if she felt any kind of obligation to.

And even though Hisana and Byakuya had sworn on their lives to help all they could, both Renji and Rukia knew that bad things could still happen, could still transpire. The Kuchiki's were a powerful family, with strong and deep-rooted connections and alliances with other noble families whom they could rouse and anger with the knowledge.

"I hate them all, every one of them," hissed Rukia(this of course excluded Hisana and Byakuya), with venom filling her voice. "I want them all to drop dead!" Her mood was apparent, and Renji couldn't help but concur.

"I know, Rukia..." he said calmly, trailing off afterward as he kept his gaze centered forwards. Though his own anger was also flared to unimaginable heights, he knew that they both couldn't let emotion consume them. One of them had to keep a clear head, and he wasn't going to ask Rukia to do that in this situation, especially since she was usually the one who stayed collected when things were amiss.

"I want out baby to be safe..." she said, though all animosity in her voice had changed to sadness. Her voice began cracking as she continued. "I don't want anything to happen to our child..." She was sobbing now, and Renji could swear that a little bit of his heart broke as he listened to the love of his life-his wife-the woman whom his world centered around-break down into tears. It was rare for her to cry, and he hated when it was out of sadness.

"It's gonna be okay..." he promised, tightening his grip on her legs where he held her up. "We've got your sister and Kuchiki-san on our side, and Kuchiki-san is the head of the family, plus he's managed to help get us this far, so..." Renji trailed off yet again, trying to be as hopeful as possible yet not entirely believing his own words.

At this point they had reached their home, and Renji strolled silently down the pathway leading to the door before retrieving the key from his pocket. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside, closing it behind him and tossing his keys onto a nearby table. Rukia slid off of his back without a word, then walked silently over to the couch with gloomy, downcast eyes, not even throwing a glance his way. Plopping down carelessly, she just stayed like that, her gaze focused on the floor and her face stained with tears from earlier.

Renji couldn't bear to watch her like this, so he went beside her, sitting down carefully before wrapping a warm arm around her shoulders.

"They promised us that nothing would happen," said Renji firmly, trying to get the point across. He was doing all he could to cheer her up and make her feel better.

"I know..." she replied. "I know that everything is probably going to turn out okay, but...just the thought of anything happening is driving me crazy..." she choked out, and Renji could tell that she was on the verge of crying again. Leaning down so he could see her face, he observed, that, yes, tears were brimming in her violet orbs and looked as if they were about to spill down her cheeks. Gently, he raised his hand up and wiped them away, cupping her pale cheek with his hand afterward. This made her look up at him, and her tiny hand came up to rest on top of his, which was still holding her cheek lovingly.

"I love you..." she whispered, her face a mix of the sadness she still felt and the love for her husband that she had held for so long.

"I love you too, Rukia," he replied, leaning down further to capture her lips. It was meant to be short and chaste, but due to all the emotions that had built up within them both from everything they were being so suddenly presented with, it turned heated and passionate. Soon, Renji was headed up to the couples' bedroom, fumbling slightly because of the distraction of his wife's lips against his, while her legs were snaked around his waist and supporting herself against him.

They needed this. Though some people might say that this was the worst time to be thinking about sex, for them they needed something to remind them of their love(of which sex was the ultimate expression), to remind them that it was their love for each other and their child that would get them through this, would drive them to fight it out until the end.

The door to the bedroom was kicked close with slight haste, and clothes were subtracted from the equation. What erupted from the passionate lovemaking was not only physical pleasure and pure, raw love, but reassurance, consoling, and resolve.

It would be hard and arduous, but they would make it through this, somehow.

* * *

Orihime carefully pulled up to the edge of the sidewalk, making sure that none of the cargo that was neatly packed in the back of the borrowed pickup trick which she was currently driving would have the chance of spilling out onto the road. Exiting the car, the auburn haired girl made her way up the pathway to Ichigo's apartment to let him know that she was here to move her things in.

When she was right in front of his door, Orihime raised up a fist to knock, but then heard some kind of commotion going on inside. She quirked an eyebrow.

"Ichigo?" she asked, slightly worried that something bad was going on, like that he was being robbed or fighting with someone. There was more noise, and then some muffled shouts.

"Ichigo!" she called with more desperation, this time grasping the doorknob and trying to get inside. Her attempts, however, were in vain, as the front door was locked up tight. The sound didn't stop, and Orihime was panicking. "Ichigo, what's going on! Are you okay!"

"It's okay, Hime," he called back, and his tone was normal, not distressed in the least. "I'll be right out...just wait a minute." The sound still didn't stop, and there were more shouts, which were voiced so loud that they were almost discernible, even through solid walls.

Meanwhile, Orihime continued to stand outside, confused and dumbfounded. Ichigo wasn't hurt, thank god, but what the hell was going on?

Finally, the door swung open, and Orihime had to dodge quickly so that it wouldn't wham her right in the nose.

"Oh, sorry Orihime," apologized Ichigo. "Are you okay?" Orihime nodded, trying to think of how exactly she would approach Ichigo on the matter of what had just been occurring in his apartment. He himself was acting like nothing was amiss.

"Um, what was going on, Ichigo?" she asked. "Is everything alright?" Her peripheral vision caught sight of something, and she leaned to the side, looking past Ichigo's shoulder to see what it was. The carrot top quickly shifted the position of his body in response, obviously trying to hide whatever was inside.

"It was nothing," he said quickly. "Just me yelling because I stubbed my toe, and the thing I knocked into was a bookshelf, so a bunch of books fell down, and I had to pick them up." He quickly made an excuse, which was obviously a lie, and Orihime was becoming more curious by the second.

"Well...okay...anyways, I'm here to move my stuff in and-" she was cut off as Ichigo was practically run over by a person who was tied up in sheets and had a piece of tape covering his mouth. Quickly, the man broke free from his binding, the now ripped sheets falling around him as he tore the tape off his mouth, obviously ignoring the pain. Now that the man was free, Orihime could see what he really looked like.

He looked about in his forties, and he had jet black hair which was slicked up in the front. He also had black whiskers on his jaw line, and he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and cargo pants.

"HOW COULD YOU TIE ME UP ICHIGO!" he shouted. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO _ME _OF ALL PEOPLE! OH, MISAKI, WHAT HAS THIS WORLD COME TO!" Orihime had a WTF look on her face, and Ichigo was still in a daze from being basically trample over.

Suddenly, the strange man's head snapped in Orihime's direction, and she froze. He looked her over a few times, his eyes seeming to dwell on her assets a bit longer than necessary before turning his attention back to the only recently recovered man who was still lying on his stomach.

"Ichigo, how could you hide this woman from me for two months!" he exclaimed. "And more importantly, how did you of all people score a girlfriend whose boobs are _that _big!" Both of the younger attendants blushed, and Ichigo looked like he was about to kick the man's ass.

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU PERVERTED OLD MAN!" he yelled, jumping up before delivering a high roundhouse kick straight to the man's head, knocking out a couple teeth in the process.

The man was lying on the floor, tiny cartoon birds circling his head, and voice slightly distorted as he said,

"Whatever happens, I know you still love me..."

"IN YOUR DREAMS!"

"Uh..." was all Orihime could manage to say as she watched the scene unfold before her. She sweatdropped. Hearing her, Ichigo gave one last glare at the man on the ground, before turning towards Orihime and cracking an awkward smile.

"Orihime...this is my dad."

END OF CHAPTER 9

Again, I am so sorry for the long wait. T_T It mostly was because I didn't have much of an idea for this chap at first, but luckily, the next chap probably won't take nearly as long, because I have formulated a general plot for the next couple chapters. I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo does, and I love and appreciate all opinions!


	10. The Master Plan: chapter 10

I'm an ass, I know it...I'm behind on literally all my stories, and I feel horrible. Hope you enjoy, and I'm sorry if anyone is mad, I deserve complaints.

The Master Plan: chapter 10

"So, uh, ...how have you been?" Orihime asked the rather eccentric father of her boyfriend, who was sitting on the couch across from her next to his son, who was still glaring furiously at him. She held out her hand for a handshake.

"NICE TO MEET YA!" he boomed, grabbing her hand and shaking it furiously. "Call me Isshin dear, no need for formalities! Especially since your such a..." he paused in his words to bring her fingers to his lips and kiss them, "...lovely young lady." Isshin winked, and Orihime's face went scarlet.

"YOU PERVERTED CREEP!" screamed Ichigo, aiming a punch right into his father's jaw. The orange-haired man was a hairs length away from sending his father to an early grave.

"I-It's alright, Ichigo!" assured Orihime, waving her hands about furiously. Ichigo scowled a bit longer before calming himself for her sake, and then allowing Isshin to recover from the blow.

"Ah, such a nice girl, how did my son manage to get someone so nice, not to mention so beautiful!" exclaimed the older man. Orihime blushed a bit at the compliment, and Isshin put a hand to his ear. "Is that wedding bells I hear?" he said, winking at them both and smiling a smile that showed his set of now-incomplete teeth.

"I'm sorry about your teeth..." apologized Orihime, remembering that Ichigo had knocked a couple out not long ago.

"Oh, it's alright!" he said, smiling wider. "Ichigo knocks my teeth out at least twice a month! I have special insurance at the dentist's office that can have them fixed right up whenever I need it!"

_It happens that much?_ Thought Orihime, astonished, as she simply continued to stare at the two relatives, one of them smiling in a goofy manner as the other one took ragged deep breaths, probably in an attempt to control his temper.

"So, , where is it you work at-" began Orihime, before she was cut off.

"-Oh, no where special," said Isshin. "I just work at the hospital as a doctor." Immediately, something clicked in Orihime's brain.

"Wait, you mean...YOU'RE DR. KUROSAKI! THE DOCTOR KUROSAKI!" Orihime exclaimed. "It's so nice to meet you, sir!" Orihime bowed in her seat quickly.

"HUH!" said Ichigo, dumbfounded. He looked back and forth between his excited girlfriend and his smirking father.

"Ichigo, your father is a legend at the hospital!" said Orihime. "He's the best doctor we've got!" As she stated these things, Isshin did manly poses in his seat. "No one ever sees him though, and almost no one knows what he looks like. Isn't that right, Isshin-san?"

"Yep," he replied. "I'm either in my office or in the operating room all day, so I'm not seen often around the joint. And as Ichigo knows, I usually spend the night at work to get all the papers filed, so I don't go home too often either."

"WHAT!" boomed Ichigo. "What about Karin and Yuzu! You leave them alone that long!"

"Calm down Ichigo, your sisters are in high school, and they know where the money is. Not to mention they can drive, so it's all good! I call them every night too, to make sure they're alright! It's fine!" Ichigo gaped at his father's laid back attitude at this, and couldn't believe that even _he _wasn't concerned about leaving his teenage daughter's alone for days, even weeks on end.

"Have you visited them yet?" asked Ichigo, attempting to suppress his anger.

"Ah, I'll visit them tomorrow!" he said. "One more day won't make a difference when they've been alone for a month!" The father smiled, as if proud of that achievement.

Ichigo nearly shouted "A MONTH!," before he managed to overcome the exclamation. Instead, he formulated a plan.

"Dad," he said.

"Yes?" replied his goofy father.

"Karin and Yuzu are 17, right?"

"Yep, that is unless Masaki lied to me and stole them off the streets." Ichigo wanted to go off angrily on his dad, but managed to stay calm.

"Which means that they're teenagers, right?" the orange-haired man continued.

"Uh-huh."

"Dad, teenagers have hormones."

"And?"

"You've left them alone for so long that they've probably already brought some boys home, and it really is anyone's guess what they would do with those boys-"

"-I'M COMING DAUGHTERS!" screamed Isshin, practically breaking the door off of its hinges on his way out.

"Wanna get your stuff in here?" asked Ichigo, seeming not at all fazed by what had just happened. Deciding to just go with it rather than question it, Orihime simply nodded.

* * *

Rukia emerged from she and Renji's bedroom, wearing one of her husband's T-shirts. Closing the door softly so she wouldn't disturb his still-asleep form, the small girl proceeded downstairs. Suddenly...

"Rau!" a small noise came from down at her foot, and Rukia directed her gaze downward only to be met with the sight of their cat on the ground and her foot still in the air.

"Oh my god, Zabi-chan!" she exclaimed, leaning down and picking up the creature before stroking his fur. "I'm sorry, baby," she cooed, making sure that he wasn't injured from the accidental impact. It was then that she saw that he was very skinny, and didn't look so good.

"When was the last time that oaf fed you!" she asked angrily, carrying the orange tabby into the kitchen before setting him down softly on the counter and reaching up to the cabinet where his food was. Taking down four cans of tuna, she opened each one by one, and then set them in front of the malnourished pet. Zabimaru quickly began eating up the contents of the cans, and Rukia also filled his bowl with water and set it before him. How he had even survived to this point was a mystery to her.

"I heard a noise, what's goin' on?" asked Renji, entering the kitchen in his shorts just as their cat was finishing up his third can of tuna. Rukia turned on him with an angry glare, and placed her hands firmly on her hips.

"What's going on," she hissed, "Is that you haven't been feeding Zabi-chan!" Renji was taken aback by her more-vicious-than-usual glare, cringing a bit as a dark aura began to surround her.

"What?" he said, attempting to defend himself. "What with everything that's going on, you know, I've forgotten stuff...it's not like it's that big a deal..."

"NOT THAT BIG A DEAL!" exclaimed Rukia. Renji cursed himself internally, realizing that he had made it worse. "Renji, he could've died if I hadn't found him! How can I trust you to take care of your own baby if you can't even remember to give our cat the bare necessities!" She blurted the last part out, unintentionally reminding them both of the major problem at hand.

Rukia turned her back to him, and squeezed her eyes shut. She heard him sigh. A minute later, she could tell that he was directly behind her, for she could feel the body heat radiating from him. They didn't even have to speak for them to know what the other wanted to say.

"Ya wanna go lay down in bed?" he asked, attempting to calm her nerves. Though they both knew nothing serious would happen, Renji knew for a fact that Rukia couldn't help but be scared still.

Rukia nodded, picking up Zabimaru, and then leaning backwards until her back was pressed up against his body. Kissing the top of her head, Renji purposefully brushed his large hand over Rukia's stomach before wrapping it around her waist, his other arm going around her shoulder as he hefted her up in a sort of half bridal style carry. Rukia, eyes still shut, allowed herself to sink further into Renji's warm, bare chest as strands of his loose hair brushed past her cheek.

Feeling Renji set her down on their bed, and feeling the warmth which was still present from where he had been sleeping there just minutes ago, Rukia opened her eyes. Zabimaru crept out of her arms to curl up at the foot of the bed, while Renji rested behind her, one hand resting on her clothed tummy while the other wrapped around her securely. Slowly, they fell asleep peacefully, love expressed purely in their embrace.

* * *

Discarded boxes lay idly in a corner as the remainder of Orihime's possessions were unpacked. She didn't own a lot, so it hadn't taken long, and now the couple was snuggling on the couch, Orihime tucked into her boyfriend's side comfortably as they watched television.

"Ichigo?" she asked him.

"Mhm?" he replied.

"I was thinking...I like meeting your father so much, that I think it's only proper you meet my brother." Passing by the fact that she had actually enjoyed meeting Isshin, Ichigo nodded, liking the idea as well.

"I'd love to," he said. "When?"

"Well..." began Orihime, "Nii-san is busy a lot, so I don't know how soon we would be able to arrange something, but I'll talk to him tomorrow morning." Ichigo smirked. The prospect of meeting Orihime's brother was both exciting and nerve-wracking. The fact that he was the only live member of her family meant that if he ever proposed to Orihime, he would have to ask her brother's blessing first.

"Perfect," he answered, and they relaxed there together, young and in love.

END OF CHAPTER 10

I can't express my sorriness...I just hope that I can find the strength to start updating a little more regularly on all my stories. And about the cat, I just happened to notice that I mentioned him in chapter 1, but then he never showed up again, so I knew that I would have to do something about that. Also, I apologize for the shortness. Tite Kubo owns Bleach, I don't, and I love and appreciate all opinions, so feel free to leave 'em!


	11. The Master Plan: chapter 11

Yay for chapter 11! Hope you enjoy!

The Master Plan: Chapter 11

"Nii-san? Hello, are you there?" Orihime said into the phone receiver as the ringing which had been occurring just a minute ago ceased.

"Orihime? Yes, I'm here." The calm, kind voice of her brother stated. Orihime's face lit up, her features contorting in happiness and excitement as she replied joyfully,

"I have wonderful news, nii-san!" The orange-haired girl pulled away from the receiver to take a deep breath and calm herself, before putting it to her ear once more.

"Oh?" he asked, interested in why his sister seemed happier than she ever had been. "Is it for what I think it is?" Orihime felt her face warm, marveling at how well her older brother knew her.

"Yes," she replied. "I want you to meet him. I know you're busy, but is there any time you might be able to make for it?" She bit her lip, feeling slightly guilty, as she knew that her brother wasn't a man with much time on his hands, and it was very rare that she ever asked him to make time for something.

"I suppose I could do it in about 2 weeks," he said after a moment which had surely been spent checking with his agent, who was probably nearby since it was the middle of the day. Orihime smiled.

"Thank you, nii-san," she chirped happily. "I'm sorry to do this to you-"

"-You don't have to apologize, Orihime," her brother interrupted. "You know I don't mind. Now what's this man's name?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki," answered his cheerful sister. "He's a very good man."

"Alright," said Sora. "Well, goodbye Orihime, I should be getting back to work. It was nice talking to you, and I can't wait to meet him. I love you."

"I love you too, nii-san. Goodbye!" With that, the phone was hung up, and Orihime set the receiver down, her smile never fading.

* * *

"What's up, preggo?" asked Ichigo as he swung into Rukia's office, leaning his side against the entrance to her cubicle. Rukia's head snapped up from her photo-covered desk to look at the orange-haired man, her eyebrow arching in confusion.

"Huh? How do you know, I haven't told you yet." Ichigo smirked.

"Are you kidding? It's really obvious, you're starting to show." Rukia threw her arms around her stomach, dawning a face of horror.

"W-What! Really!" Ichigo burst into laughs, extremely amused at her out-of-character reaction.

"No," he assured between the remaining chuckles. "Orihime told me."

"Ass," said Rukia, flustered and angry. She swiveled around in her chair to continue with her work.

"Seriously, though," said Ichigo, "Congrats. You must be really happy." Rukia smiled warmly.

"You have no idea. Just the thought that Renji and I are going to have a little baby of our own that we made together is making my heart wanna explode." She left out the part about the Kuchiki family, not wanting to pull anyone else into the situation.

"Wow," commented Ichigo, not even able to process how happy she seemed. "How's Renji taking it?"

"He feels the same as I do," she replied, then added, "But enough about me and my husband; how is it going with Inoue since the move-in? We haven't talked in a couple days." Ichigo forced a smile.

"She met my dad." Rukia snorted, stifling a laugh as she smirked.

"And how did that go over?" Ichigo's head drooped.

"I was more embarrassed than I was when he tried to take me to the mother-son dance." Rukia, unable to hold it in any longer, laughed wildly, her eyes tearing up.

"And what did Orihime think of him?"

"She claims it's fine, but I really don't know." He added, "Either way, I'm going to meet her brother soon." Rukia's chuckles subsided.

"You're going to meet Sora? Wow, Orihime must _really _like you." Ichigo quirked an eyebrow.

"Why's that?"

"He's a really busy guy, and Orihime only likes to ask him for his time when something's really important." Ichigo frowned a bit.

"I don't want her to feel guilty..."

"Well, odds are she's already asked him, so you probably shouldn't say anything. If you do, it'll probably make it worse."

"Yeah," stated Ichigo. "I guess you're right...Well, I've gotta be getting to my cubicle. See ya, Rukia."

"Bye, Ichigo."

* * *

"What's this?" asked Hisana, as she watched a lone Renji stroll into her hospital room. "Where's Rukia? Is something wrong?" She was obviously concerned, and Renji wanted to calm her fears as soon as possible.

"Everything's fine," he assured. "She's just been taking so many days off lately that she couldn't really afford to do it again, but she still wanted you to get a visit, so she made me take a day off to come see you." Hisana smirked.

"That does sound like Rukia, doesn't it?" Renji nodded.

"Yeah. She'd feel really guilty if one of us went too long without visiting you."

"How is she taking it?" asked Hisana suddenly, changing the subject and making the meaning of her question obvious. "I know that it upset her deeply." Renji lowered his eyes.

"Yeah. Especially at first, she was crying and a complete wreck." It was obvious from his expression that Renji didn't like recalling her sadness one bit. "But it's gotten a lot better since then and she's okay now." He added quickly, "Well, more or less."

"I see..." said Hisana sadly. "I do hope that it doesn't trouble her too deeply."

"Has Byakuya-san talked to the family yet?" asked the redhead, extremely curious about their response.

"He told me he was going to speak to them today, so it shouldn't be too long before they have a fit." It was a solemn response, and both individuals wanted to gravitate away from the topic.

"How is Byakuya-san, by the way?" asked Renji, breaking the silence.

"Well, he is as kind as always," replied Hisana. "And, of course, he is also upset, but besides that, he is doing well."

"That's good. I hope he can talk the family out of doing anything rash..."

"Don't worry, Renji," assured Hisana. "We already told you, it's going to be alright." Renji smirked happily.

"Thanks, Hisana-san."

* * *

"Ichigo-kun!" called Orihime. "I'm home!" She locked the door behind her with her recently-obtained key, and made her way to the kitchen in search of him.

"Ichigo-kun," she said, searching the apartment further. "Ichigo?" She walked into their bedroom, looking around everywhere.

"Gotcha!" shouted Ichigo, suddenly coming from behind and grabbing his girlfriend around the waist. He held her tightly, kissing her cheek in greeting. Upon being snatched, Orihime had squealed in surprise, before relaxing upon the realization of who was holding her.

"Hello, Ichigo," she laughed, placing her hands on his arms which stayed around her. He smirked, pulling them back to sit on the bed together.

"What's up, Orihime?" he asked. "You seem happy, so I'm assuming you had a good day." Orihime grinned, turning enough in his arms to place a chaste peck on his lips as she replied,

"Yep! And I've got really good news, too!" Her face confirmed the news, and the carrot top couldn't help but be curious.

"And what would that really good news be?" he asked.

"Sora can see us in two weeks!" she beamed. "Like I said, it's lucky we could see him that soon." Ichigo was ecstatic, and very glad that he wouldn't have to wait that long to meet Orihime's brother.

"What did you say he does again?" asked the redhead, needing to refresh his memory.

"He's the CEO at Rose Electronics, the technology company, remember?" she stated.

"Oh, yeah!" replied Ichigo, a light bulb going off in his brain as he immediately remembered the information. "Hence why he doesn't have a lot of time on his hands."

* * *

"Uh-huh," said Orihime.

"But," he said happily, nuzzling his nose into her neck, "We're gonna get to see him pretty soon, so it's all good." Orhime grinned happily.

"Right!"

"Grimmjow," commanded a dark-haired man, looking up from his desk at the other man before him. The man had light blue hair, his eyes just a slightly darker shade of the color.

"Yes, Sora-sama?" asked the suit-clad subordinate. He was an agent, loyal only to the higher-ups at Rose Electronics. Whenever something needed done that might have been hard to do normally, this man had the skills and resources to do it.

"Would you please do a full background check for me?" Though giving out instructions for something he considered extremely important, Sora maintained his kind mood and tone.

"Of course, sir," replied Grimmjow obediently. "Who is it you want it done on?" Sora tapped his fingers on the table, looking the man opposite him straight in the eyes.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

END OF CHAPTER 11

Woo, it's done! Sorry, I know it's a little late, but I have it up! If this chapter sucks, I'm sorry, I don't really feel like I've been doing my best writing lately...either way, I hope you enjoyed this chap. Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, not myself, and I love and appreciate all opinions!


	12. The Master Plan: Chapter 12

Greetings, after 3 and a half months! I apologize for the lateness...:( But, if it makes you feel better, all my stories have had late updates :D Anyways, hope you enjoy!

The Master Plan: Chapter 12

2 WEEKS LATER

Sora leafed through the stack of papers, curious as to what information he would find out about this 'Kurosaki Ichigo.' Grimmjow continued to bow before his master, on the ground with his head bent downwards.

"Have I succeeded in pleasing you, Sora-sama?" asked the blue-haired man, as humbly as possible. Sora's smile widened, as he read through the thorough, and very descriptive, pages.

"Yes, Grimmjow," answered the dark-haired man. "You have done an excellent job; I am more than satisfied. You are dismissed." The subordinant obeyed immediately, standing and departing the room promptly. Meanwhile, Sora continued to scan his eyes over the first page.

"Born July 15, 1985, in Tokyo...moved to Tsubaki city at age 9...first job was at a fast food restaurant...graduated high school with a 3.8 grade point average...attended Hinagiku University from home...oh? What's this...?" Sora's eyes widened as he read the next part, a lead weight falling in his gut as he realized exactly who his sister was dating. He picked up the phone, dialing the number quickly.

"Police Station?" said Sora, when someone answered him. "No, I don't need anyone to come immediately. But, I wish to ask for two officers to come to my house tonight at 9:00. There is a chance that I may need the law's help tonight...thank you." Sora hung up the phone, sighing in relief. Now, he had the police on his side, just in case violence broke out. He was going to have to ask Mr. Kurosaki some questions about his past...

* * *

"Ichigo-kun?" asked Orihime from their bedroom, as her boyfriend prepared himself in the bathroom. "Are you almost finished?" Normally, it was expected that the _woman _would be the one taking forever to get ready in the bathroom, while the man moaned and complained from outside, however Orihime had been so excited to see her brother that the process of preparing herself for a nice dinner had only taken a few minutes, makeup and all. And, guessed the auburn-haired woman, her boyfriend was probably too nervous to actually deem himself presentable. She, herself, wore a long, glittery gold dress that was slit down one side to reveal the majority of her leg, part of her hair done up into a neat bun as she allowed the rest to flow freely down her back. To top it all off, she wore high heels and bright red lipstick, completing her very formal look.

Finally, Ichigo emerged from the bathroom, posture stiff, looking as if he were constipated. He wore a nice, black suit, and a red tie, almost making it look as if he were wearing a tuxedo. His face caused Orihime to giggle, and she stood, walking over to him, her arms twining tightly around his neck as she hugged him tightly. "Calm, down, Ichigo-kun..." she urged her partner, pulling back to look at him. "I'm sure nii-san will love you." Ichigo swallowed, loosening up a bit, but still, he didn't look so certain. Another giggle.

"Why are you so worried?" asked Orihime, granting him a chaste kiss. Ichigo finally relaxed enough to let himself move, and he grabbed his girlfriend around the waist, pulling her closer. He sighed, breathing in the scent of her perfume.

"It's just..I've gotta make a good impression with this guy, y'know? 'Cause, you know, I've gotta consult him when I wanna..." he trailed off, catching himself in mid-sentence. Orihime's eyes widened a bit, as she got the hint. But that was not what surprised her the most. It was the fact that he said 'when', instead of 'if'. The woman's smile grew warmer as she realized he was simply nervous about the whole concept, and so she decided not to press him. Pulling away, Orihime took hold of Ichigo's hand, grinning at him.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked sweetly, and her answer was a heart-melting smirk and a nod from her love, before they departed the home.

* * *

Rukia plopped down on her and Renji's bed, tired from a full day at work. Today she had been especially busy, running all over town so she could get pictures for the newspaper. And, she was pretty sure it didn't help that she was pregnant. Laying back against the soft bedding, Rukia turned her head and caught sight of herself in the mirror, noticing something she hadn't before, since she had been so preoccupied lately.

Sitting up, she pulled her shirt up to her chest, revealing her stomach, and noting that it bulged out, just slightly. It was more noticeable when she wasn't wearing clothing. She was starting to show, and the small woman guessed that she probably had been for the past couple days or so. She was at 11 weeks, now, a little over a fourth of the way through gestation, and the doctor had said that, though most women didn't start showing until a bit later, her petite figure would probably mean that she could very well begin to do it early. And, the doctor was right.

One positive, thought Rukia with a smile, was that her morning sickness was becoming less frequent. Another thing the doctor had said was that it could stop around 12 weeks, and she was pleased that, for her, that seemed to be the case. Rukia lay back again, sinking into the warm covers of her shared bed as she placed her hands over her tummy, warming it as she sighed in relaxation, not bothering to pull her shirt back down. Even though there were still concerns and worries swirling around in the back of her head, she forgot about them, for just this moment, and allowed herself to be utterly happy about the fact that she was having a baby with her husband, the man she loved. In a few weeks, they would even be able to find out the child's gender...

"Hey...you asleep?" came a voice, as the owner peeked his head in through the door. Even though she knew it was Renji, Rukia sat up in surprise, as she had been totally unfocused and day-dreamy when he had arrived, and removed her hands from her stomach as her shirt fell to cover it once more. A chuckle arose from her partner, before he opened the door fully and strode over to her.

"So," he said, before she could speak, "I'm assuming you've finally noticed that you're showing?" Rukia's eyes widened at that, and she was shocked. If he was using the word 'finally', it meant that she had been showing longer than just a couple days. Her eyebrows furrowed as she pouted.

"Yeah..." she said as an answer. "When exactly did you notice?" Renji sat down beside her, draping an arm around her shoulders and cuddling her to his side.

"'Bout a week ago," clarified the redhead, confirming Rukia's suspicions. She struggled a little against his hold, expression turning angry, but he held her tightly, refusing to let go.

"Idiot!" she scolded, still fidgeting beside him. "Why didn't you tell me? I just noticed today!" He looked down at her form with a blank expression, shrugging.

"Ya know, you're a woman and all, not to mention that you're a little hormonal as you are now, so..." Obviously, he didn't feel the need to finish his sentence, and Rukia was so shocked at his reply that she stopped moving entirely, giving him an incredulous look that was touched with just a hint of indignation, a blush of embarrassment painting her face. She really couldn't tell whether he was just joking or not. Suddenly, another thought struck the small girl.

"How the hell did you notice before I did?" she demanded, going back to trying to wrestle her way out of his arms. At this point, she was more infuriated with herself for not being able to notice changes in her body, when _she _was the one who was actually pregnant. Still, Renji's iron grip on her held firm.

"Well, I've known ya practically your whole life," he said. "And all that time, you've been skinny as sin. Not to mention, I'm the only one whose seen ya naked, besides your sister, so it wasn't really that hard for me to notice even a tiny change." He smirked again, adding, "And you, little woman, are still worrying about others more than you are yourself, that's another reason why." At his words, Rukia ceased her movements once more, relaxing as she looked away from him with a pout, recognizing the truth in his words. She heard him sigh, pulling her closer to himself.

"Gosh, even when you've got a baby inside ya, you can't be bothered to actually _look _at yourself once in a while." Rukia's attitude didn't change at all-if anything, she curled deeper into herself, sulking. Renji turned slightly, so he could pull her back to his chest, and he buried his face in her hair. "You'll never change, ya know that? God, Rukia...if ya can't do it for yourself, then can you at least promise me that you'll be a little self-centered for the baby?" Rukia laughed a bit at his last statement, knowing that, whatever the case, this man would always be able to lift her spirits. Relaxing into him, and placing a hand over his, she replied, also half-jokingly,

"Well...I think, for the baby, I can become a selfish bitch." She felt him smile into her scalp, and then, in a flash, she was lifted up, being carried downstairs bridal style. "R-Renji?" she asked, dumbfounded, looking up at his triumphant, smiling face.

"We're going out tonight, Rukia," he said, reaching the bottom of the stairs, and then heading to the garage. This shocked the small woman even more.

"B-But we're not dressed right or anything!" she protested, looking up at him like he was a crazy man. Just a minute ago, _he _had been the one talking about _her_ being the one that would never change, however, at this moment, he was acting like the spontaneous little kid he had always been.

"So?" he said as a reply her statement, and Rukia couldn't help the smile that broke out across her face, as she was reminded about the other undeniable fact that characterized him: he had never given a shit about other people's opinions towards him, either. And, she couldn't deny that he had rubbed off on her over the years, as she replied happily,

"Aw, why the hell not?"

* * *

Orihime pulled up to a large metal gate before her brother's property, the steel that made up the gate bended into twists and curves that made it look wonderous, at the very top of it being an 'I', for 'Inoue.' And, while Ichigo's eyes were nearly bulging out of his head at the mansion that lay behind the gate, his girlfriend was acting as if it were a normal, every-day thing. Within a few seconds, the door opened, granting them entry, and Orihime slowly drove in, her car traveling up the gravel pathway.

When they got up near the house, the pathway made a full, roundabout circle around a splendid fountain which was nestled in the center of it, the fountain being a statue of a lion, with the water pouring out its mouth in buckets. As Orihime pulled around the circular driveway to park, Ichigo, in the passenger seat, leaned closer, asking,

"How much money does your brother make, Orihime? This place is huge! Is he even married? Does he have a girlfriend? Kids?" Orihime chuckled, knowing that Ichigo's current scatterbrained behavior was just a result of his intense nervousness.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly how much brother makes, but, as you can see, his income is pretty high, what with him being a CEO and all," answered the brown-eyed maiden. Ichigo internally facepalmed.

_Of course he makes a shit ton of money, he's a CEO! _though the carrot top, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He had to keep things under control so he wouldn't end up making a fool of himself in front of the man whose judgment could determine the fate of he and Orihime's relationship. _Calm, Ichigo. You **are **in control. _The internal reassurances sobered him for now, and Ichigo sighed a breath of relief.

"Nii-san doesn't have any kids or a partner, either," continued Orihime, putting the car into park. "He really has no time whatsoever for personal matters. I think it's why he's so protective, since I'm his only family since mom and dad died." Her face flashed sadness, before she smiled up at her boyfriend, tugging him out of the car and locking it as they made their way to the door. Bright light shone out from all of the many windows decorating the mansion, reflecting off the tall trees that surrounded it. They made it look almost as if it wasn't nighttime. When they reached the large door, Ichigo observed that it was a double door, carved with the image of a griffin. All he could do was stare in wonder, before Orihime nudged him. His head snapped over to look at her smiling face.

"Go on," urged his love, sweetly. "Ring the doorbell, Ichigo-kun." Ichigo swallowed, before obeying her request, noticing, as he did, that even the doorbell was splendid, surrounded with fancy, curvy designs. And, when he pushed the button, rather than the quick, simple 'ding-dong', the house erupted into a loud, resonating verse of the song 'Amazing Grace.' A moment later, a woman answered the door, wearing a simple blue dress and an apron, showing them that she was obviously a maid of some sort.

"Orihime-sama, Kurosaki-sama," she greeted, bowing respectfully. Quickly, she straightened back up, ushering them into a long hallway as another servant closed the door behind him. At this point, Ichigo was so nervous that he swore he was sweating a bit, and the redhead even had the urge to pull at his collar. The maid led them down a long, seemingly endless hallway that was covered in a red carpet, portraits lining the walls of the place. The ceiling was also very high up, resulting in their footsteps echoing loudly.

"Here you are," said the maid, after what felt like an eternal walk, and she departed shortly after indicating the correct door. Smiling, Orihime noticed her love's anxiousness, giving him a bit of a break as she, herself, opened the sliding shoji door, revealing a grand dining room. The ceiling was a half-cylinder, made up of large glass panels, and from it hung a splendid chandelier, the light from it filling the whole room warmly. The main piece of furniture in the room was a long, wide dining table with a bright blue tablecloth laying over it and hanging off the sides slightly, the corners ending in tassels. One tall, dormant candle stick with four branches rested in the very middle of the table, tying the whole scene together. At the end closest to them sat a black-haired man that looked in his 30's, chaired turned around so he could face them. His garment was a formal tuxedo, with a jet black tie and freshly-polished shoes. Ichigo marveled at his sight as well, only being pulled out of his thoughts when Orihime spoke.

"Hello, nii-san!" she cried happily. "Thank you so much for having us! I've missed you so much!" The man smiled back at his sister, replying cheerfully,

"I've missed you too, Orihime-chan. It's a pleasure to have you and over to my home." Ichigo, snapping from his daze, quickly worked up the courage to speak.

"Thank you very much, Inoue-san," said the carrot top, bowing formally to his girlfriend's brother, before standing once more. Sora's smirk widened, before he stood from the chair, pulling out two other chairs that sat perpendicular to his.

"How polite," he complimented. "Now...please, come and sit."

END OF CHAPTER 12

DUN DUN DUN! Cliffhanger! What will Sora do? You'll have to find out next time. :) Hope you enjoyed! Bleach owns Tite Kubo, I don't, and I love and appreciate all opinions!


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